For this year’s third episode of A Harvest of Knowledge, we will explore the position occupied by wine in the literature of the 19^th century.

19^th-century literature is literally set at the table: scenes of group meals, business dinners, receptions and celebrations. These moments of sociability also reflect political and ethical issues. References to wine – a true marker of social status – speak volumes about the habits, tastes, and shortcomings of society, and in return give literature a narrative fabric, discourse opportunities, and a particular imagery that will be examined through various different works.

Béatrice Laville est professeur de littérature française à l'université Bordeaux Montaigne. Ses recherches portent sur le second XIX^ème siècle et notamment sur la question des rapports entre la fiction et l'histoire, sur la question de l'engagement et sur le roman à thèse. Elle a publié diverses études sur Zola, les Goncourt, Darien, Barrès etc...