Redding was a British journalist and writer.  Whilst working in Paris, he broke the news of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.  He worked tirelessly for a number of newspapers and magazines including the Monthly and the Metropolitan.  His most influential work was his History and Description of Modern Wines (1833, with later editions in 1836, 1851, and 1860); the text was based on careful personal observation and gleanings from many sources including Jullien and Chaptal.

Here Redding provides a more detailed examination solely of the wine trade in France due to the importance and size of the trade with Great Britain, which had been recently encouraged by a liberalisation of trade laws and the taxation applied to French wines.   In addition to the expected description of the major producing areas and celebrated vineyards there is a detailed discussion of wine making practices, viticulture, soils, the technical analysis of wine and distillation; comparative measurements, taxation and consumer trends.   The major part of the work is devoted to the wines of the Gironde and the greater Bordeaux area.  There are also sizeable chapters on Burgundy, Champagne, and the Loire.  There is also a significant amount of statistical information about French wine production, alcohol levels, pricing and taxation, together with a very useful Alphabetical Table of the important French vineyards and their departments as of 1860.

Scarce.  An excellent copy and a cornerstone of any serious collection on the wines of France.  Significant as a detailed record of French wine production and trade before the devastation of phylloxera.