Exhibitions Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Wine and Grape Archive

Cornell University Library is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Eastern Wine & Grape Archive with exhibitions devoted to the history of grapes and wine making:

Song of the Vine: A History of Wine

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Carl A. Kroch Library
June 2008 through January 16, 2009
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday; 1:00 - 5:00 pm., Saturday
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ewga/

The exhibition explores the origins of viticulture in Europe and the development of wine making in America, as well as the cultural movements and legislative acts that have shaped the nation's complex relationship with alcohol, such as the temperance movement and Prohibition. Documents recently acquired for the Wine & Grape Archive tells the story of the growth of the New York State wine industry, from America's oldest wineries to today's “Uncork NY” advertising campaign. Other archival materials highlight Cornell's extensive contributions to the development of new grape varieties through the work of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES). “Song of the Vine” is made possible through the generosity of Ronni Lacroute ’66.

Wines & Grapes in Hospitality

Nestlé Library, Statler Hall
June through December 2008
For hours, please see http://library.cornell.edu/about/libhours.html#hotel

On display are the wine and grape resources available at Nestlé Library, including menus from the Restaurant Menu Collection http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/library/collections/menus/. Also on display is information from one of the most popular classes on Cornell’s campus: HADM 430: Introduction to Wines.

Phylloxera: How One Tiny Insect Nearly Destroyed the European Wine Industry

Entomology Library, 2114 Comstock Hall
June through December 2008
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (summer hours)

In 1868, A French botanist identified the cause of mysterious and rapid grape vine die-offs as Phylloxera vastatrix, a tiny yellow aphid that reproduces at astonishing speed. It had arrived on imported American vines, the vanguard in an invasion that would lead to a 30 year battle to save the European wine industry, a battle marked by lengthy scientific research, resistance, confusion and desperate emigration. The solution to this disaster, like the cause, would come from America.

We Grow the Wine Grapes: An Exhibit on New York Viticulture Today

Mann Library Lobby
June through September 30, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
http://www.mannlib.cornell.edu/about/exhibits/

Mann Library is hosting an exhibit on new developments in New York viniculture. From exciting research developments at Cornell and the NYSAES in Geneva, N.Y., to changes in local landscapes being etched by the thriving wine industry, Mann’s exhibit offers a state-of-the-art update and full-color visual tour of what is happening with New York wine grapes. 

From the Vineyard to the Table: Selected NYSAES Contributions to the Development of Viticultural Practices and Grape Products

Lee Library, Jordan Hall, NYSAES, Geneva, N.Y.
June through December 2008
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday; closes 4:00 p.m. Friday

Research on grapes and grape products has been undertaken at the NYSAES almost from its very beginning in 1882. Breeding new grape varieties for juice, wine & table grapes, developing new grape growing techniques, controlling diseases and pests as well as developing new methods for processing grapes into juice, wine and other grape products represents the breadth of the research at Geneva. This exhibit highlights a number of significant innovations originating at the Experiment Station.

Cartobibulosity: Wines, Grapes and Maps

Olin Library, Lower Level Display Case
May 30 through August 22, 2008
For hours, please see http://library.cornell.edu/about/libhours.html#olin

The characteristics of a wine are firmly connected to the location of the vineyard where its grapes are grown. Maps help elucidate this mysterious concept of "terroir " and, much more prosaically, show how to get to the wineries and vineyards, an increasingly popular form of tourism. Maps in this exhibit show both the famous wine producing areas and those less well-known. Maps tell us about the business of wine and wine production, from trade routes to cork production to devastating diseases of the vine. Wine is intrinsically social, both for good and ill. Governments and societies have attempted to regulate consumption in various ways and used maps to proselytize and report. This is a colorful and interesting display of a wide variety of cartographic approaches to the multifaceted world of grapes and wine.

The Compleat Grape: An Historical Overview of Table & Wine Grapes in the U.S.

Bailey Hortorium, Mann Library Lobby, Display Case at Hortorium Elevator
June through September 2008
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday

Grapes have been an important part of the American landscape for the last two centuries. Not only were they important to the developing wine industry but they also contributed to the success of early fruit growers. The history of grape breeding, production, and availability can be traced through period books, nursery catalogues, and herbarium specimens. Selections from each of these are on display.

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