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1893 Feret and Fils Wine Map of the Gironde (Bordeaux), France
VinicoleGironde-feretfils-1893$3,250.00
Title
Carte Vinicole du Département de la Gironde.
1893 (dated) 45.75 x 34.75 in (116.205 x 88.265 cm) 1 : 160000
1893 (dated) 45.75 x 34.75 in (116.205 x 88.265 cm) 1 : 160000
Description
This is an 1893 Féret et Fils viticultural map of the Gironde, France, highlighting Bordeaux wine varietals and the Cru system. The Gironde is the heart of Bordeaux wine country with over 110,000 hectares of vineyards producing some of the world's most prestigious wines.
Beyond wine, cities, towns, and villages throughout are identified, including Bordeaux, Lesparre, and Pauillac. The region's road and railway network appears in detail. Parts of adjacent Lot and Garonne, Landes, and Charette Inferieure are also included.
Mapping the Cru System
This map highlights the evolving 'Cru' or 'Growth' system, a way of classifying Bordeaux wines introduced at the order of Napoleon III for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. Wines were rated based on individual château reputations and trading value - which were then at least nominally directly related to quality. Crus were ranked from 1st to 5th in quality, with the best reds coming from Médoc. Whites, of lesser importance then, were less tightly regulated and ranked only from 1st to 2nd Cru - as evident here. Such maps appeared as early as the 1855 Exposition and evolved annually to accommodate changing growing conditions and vineyard popularity.A Closer Look
Depicting the entirety of the Gironde, hand color emphasizes regions known for Médoc (yellow), Graves (blue), Pays de Sauternes (purple), Côtes (green), Palus (pink), and Entre deux Mers (cream). Red overprinting marks vineyards known for red and white wines and distinguishes between grands vins and crû. Tables just below the title list the most famous regional white and red wines, identify the town where they are produced, and note average production tonnage. Only the greatest white wines are noted.Beyond wine, cities, towns, and villages throughout are identified, including Bordeaux, Lesparre, and Pauillac. The region's road and railway network appears in detail. Parts of adjacent Lot and Garonne, Landes, and Charette Inferieure are also included.
Publication History and Census
This map was created and published by Féret et Fils in Bordeaux. It was engraved and printed in 1893 in Paris by Erhard Frères. This is the only known cataloged example of the present edition. Féret et Fils published several editions of their map of the Gironde under varying titles to accompany their seminal work Bordeaux et ses vins.CartographerS
Féret et Fils (1812 - Present) is a French publishing house based in Bordeaux, France. Founded in 1812 as a bookstore by Jean-Baptiste Féret, it gained its first publication rights in 1814 and became Féret et Fils in 1841. Féret et Fils is best known for the Guide de l'étranger à Bordeaux et dans la Gironde (more commonly known as Le Guide Féret or simply Le Féret), which they first published in 1850. This edition was a translation and updated edition of Bordeaux, its Wines and Claret Country published in England by Charles Cocks (1812 - 1854) in 1846. Jean-Baptiste's son Michel-Édouard Féret (1814 - January 27, 1889) succeeded his father. Twenty editions of Le Guide Féret have been published, with the most recent edition appearing in 2022. More by this mapmaker...
Georges Erhard Schièble (1823 – November 23, 1880) was a German printer active in Paris during the middle to late 19th century. Erhard was born in Forchheim, Baden-Württemberg, and relocated to Paris in his 16th year, where he apprenticed under his cousin, an engraver and mapmaker. In 1852, after 6 years with the Royal Printing Office, he started his own business. Around this time, he also became a naturalized French citizen. From his offices on Rue Bonaparte, he produced several important maps, and a detailed topography of Gaul for Napoleon III's History of Julius Caesar. In 1865 he took on larger offices expanding his operations to include a lithographic press. He was among the first to introduce printed color maps and pioneered photo-reduction, including the process known as Erhard reproduction. After Erhard's death in 1880, the firm was taken over by his sons and run under the imprint of 'Erhard Frères' until 1911. Learn More...
Condition
Very good. Dissected and mounted on linen in 42 panels. Light wear to linen folds with one small area of loss to a linen fold line.