Standing on the shoulders of giants is an oft-repeated phrase of researchers, and Shields Library at UC Davis boasts some stalwart sets from which to spring.
For students of viticulture and enology in particular, the Amerine Room on the third floor of the library holds a wealth of information on the subjects and is open to the public for their research needs.
Arriving there, especially after a fortuitous call in advance, could lead to a conversation with Axel Borg, librarian and wine bibliographer with the library.
At this juncture, history gets a dose of adrenaline, and the inquisitive researcher will learn, in rapid succession, about the library’s special collections, the history of the university in post-Prohibition support of the grape growers and winemakers, the promotional antics of Leon Adams, and the role of the UC system as a land grant institution.
The open, airy room is named for Dr. Maynard A. Amerine, Professor Emeritus of Viticulture and Enology who began his professional career with the department in 1935. For decades he was a tireless researcher and prolific author on California viticulture and wines.
The Special Collections Department contains both public and private papers, including BATF records on early bonded wineries and the private papers of legendary Santa Cruz Mountain winemaker Martin Ray. The documents reveal much that is colorful, as power and personality spiked the wine industry at frequent intervals.
In this era of global wine competition, it is easy to forget that California wines rivaled those of Europe long before World War I. The U.S. entry into the fray, along with the successful passage of Prohibition, created a decades-long void in the advancement of research, growing methods and winemaking techniques.
After Repeal, the University joined with the California Wine Institute to recoup lost time and reposition the state’s grape growing and winemaking industries.
Most of the UC circulating materials, totaling more than eight million volumes available across the nine-campus system, can be accessed within a few days through an interlibrary loan system. To access the holdings within Special Collections requires three to five days, as the much of the material is located offsite.
