CHVV prize awarded to Olivier Jacquet for his study on AOCs

The Centre d’Histoire de la Vigne et du Vin (CHVV), part of the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), promotes the history of wine through its research into Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée. At the BIVB’s annual general meeting, held at the Palais des Congrès in Beaune, the CHVV prize was awarded to Olivier Jacquet, PhD in Contemporary History and associate researcher at the UNESCO Chair in “Culture et Traditions vitivinicoles” at the Université Bourgogne Europe, for his in-depth study of the history of AOCs.

The CHVV was created in 1999 with the aim of linking historical and scientific research with the wine industry. Its mission is to pass on this knowledge to both wine industry professionals and the general public. Michel Ropiteau, Founding President of the CHVV, emphasized that this organization enables us to better understand the wine industry’s past, so as to better understand its future.

Olivier Jacquet, this year’s prizewinner, holds a doctorate in contemporary history and is a researcher associated with the UNESCO Chair “Culture et Traditions vitivinicoles” at the UBE. His book titled “Le goût des vins d’origine: Genèse, construction et triomphe des AOC au XXᵉ siècle” highlights the complex process by which AOCs were created, as well as their crucial role in defining wine quality. He has devoted a decade of research to understanding how the wine industry established quality standards, notably by articulating the notion of terroir around AOCs as early as 1935. His work shows how this evolution was a key step between wine production and marketing.

Through its actions, the CHVV pursues an ambition to develop research into the history of viticulture, while strengthening collaboration between researchers and professionals in the sector. Since 2017, it has been transformed into an association with a scientific purpose, pursuing its objectives of promoting the region’s viticultural history.

Finally, the association is not limited to a regional scope. In 2018, CHVV joined the Association des Sociétés Savantes and the Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques (CTHS), consolidating its influence on a national and international scale.