One of the most complete histories of wine in France was written in the eighteenth century, a long chapter within Le Grand d'Aussy's work on French food and wine, the “History of the private life of the French from the origin of the nation until our days”. Le Grand starts with the Gauls, Greeks and Romans and the introduction of wine into France before discussing its development over the centuries and the appearance of the retail trade. Starting with the first earthen vessels and wineskins used to transport wine, he traces the appearance of that useful microtechnology, the bottle. Drawing (as he does throughout) on a wealth of earlier authors, Le Grand lists the various wines that had been most popular over the centuries and then gives a brief look at some of the most commonly used grapes. He looks at some foreign wines before describing the ways in which wine could be used as a gift or payment and the celebrations associated with it.
