Regina Wunderer. Weinbau und Weinbereitung im Mittelalter: unter besonderer Berucksichtigung der mittelhochdeutschen Pelz- und Weinbucher.

Berlin and Bern: Peter Lang, 2001. Pbk. 234 pp. index, illus, map. bibl. $39.95. ISBN: 3-906767-33-7.

Regina Wunderer's book examines viticulture technology in the German-speaking lands based on texts produced between the ninth and fifteenth century. The author professes a goal of describing the practice of wine-making during the Middle Ages both with attention to its antique roots, and with an eye towards its practical application. Sources for the study include the important texts by Hildegard yon Bingen (1098-1179) and Albertus Magnus (ca. 1200-50) (both in Latin); Konrad von Megenberg's "Book of Nature" and Gottfried yon Franken's "Book on Grafting" (both written in German around 1350); and, providing the bulk of quotations, fifteenth-century German translations of the wine books of Arnaldus de Villanova and Petrus de Crescentiis (both originally produced in the early fourteenth century). Wunderer concludes that although our tastes in wine have changed considerably since the Middle Ages, the basic techniques of winemaking have changed only in their details, with technical advances providing a more efficient means of achieving similar ends.

The book begins by mapping the advance and eventual retreat of viticulture in Europe from antiquity through the early modern period, drawing on a combination of documentary, linguistic, and archeological evidence. Subsequent chapters describe the medieval approach to various phases of wine production including the planting and cultivation of vineyards, the harvesting of grapes, and the production and storing of wine. Wunderer pays particular attention to the wine-making process, from the care of wine barrels to recipes for the spiced wines that were popular throughout the Middle Ages. The book is at its liveliest when describing the astonishing variety of additives used by medieval vintners to clarify, preserve, color, or improve the taste of their products.

Brief final chapters cover medieval classification of wine, advice for wine-tasting and quality control, and the production of vinegar. The book is sprinkled with observations by the author as to the validity of medieval practices, some of which bordered on superstition (planting according to the phases of the moon), and others of which are still applicable today (the use of sulfur to treat wine barrels). As these comments are rarely documented, one assumes that Wunderer's expertise in this area stems from her own experience growing up among vintners, as is suggested in her preface.

The book is disadvantaged by some unfortunate decisions by its editors in the treatment of the numerous Middle and Early New High German quotations. This is especially disappointing given that it appears in a series with an emphasis on philology. As is noted in a disclaimer (which will be overlooked by many, as it is oddly buried in the back of the book), although superscript vowels are reproduced in postposition, superscript symbols reflecting abbreviated syllables (-em, -en, -er, etc.) are simply left off. This leads in many cases to grammatical distortions of the text. Forms such as od for oder ("or," 52), gnat for gnant ("called," 127), eine stecke for einen stecken ("a stick," 79), and dienet for dienent ("serve," 179) range from confusing to grammatically incorrect. Even more problematic is the fact that, with the exception of a few selected words, the quotations are not translated. We are thus left in the dark about what exactly is meant, for example, when wine is described as faist (lit. "fat") or krank (in modern German "ill," formerly primarily "weak"). And although an entire section of chapter 6 is dedicated to a discussion of Geschmack and Geruch (in modern German, "taste" and "smell," respectively), the semantics of the Middle and Early New High German word geschmac(k), which means both "taste" and "smell," are not discussed.

Despite such shortcomings, it would be unfair to suggest that Wunderer did not meet her modest goal of providing a description of medieval wine-making techniques. The book is a useful source of information for those well-versed enough in Middle and Early New High German to sort through the copious quotations. Readers will also be aided in this quest by a rich collection of illustrations depicting all stages of the wine-making process. What the author fails to do, however, is to summarize or theorize her contribution in any way. We are left with what is essentially a practical introduction to medieval viticulture, often informative and at times entertaining, but lacking any claim to the reshaping of intellectual paradigms.

B. ANN TLUSTY

Bucknell University