Maynard A. Amerine, University of California, Davis, 1911-1998
Dr. Amerine became a professor of enology in 1952 and chair of the viticulture and enology department from 1957 to 1962. He was one of the most prolific writers from viticulture and enology who authored numerous publications about wine production and evaluation, a lecturer, bibliographer, consultant on many facets of wine, and one of the greatest advocates for California wine. He had a gift for bridging the science and art of winemaking as well as a talent for communicating knowledge across to those who were unfamiliar with the technical aspects of wine. He was an authority on the sensory evaluation of wine through statistical analysis by making use of scoring and ranking systems. In 1964 Dr. Amerine published a paper with professor of mathematics, Edward Biffer Roessler, that defined the sensory examination of wines as “using the sense of sight, smell, taste, and touch to determine differences between wines or to evaluate their quality.” Dr. Amerine believed that “although sensory tests are subjective they can be made to reveal taste, odor, and quality differences with a high degree of objectivity by the use of appropriate tests and proper statistical analysis.” He also warned others from putting too much trust into the opinions of professionals, “You may listen to the recommendations of qualified independent professionals but you must make your own judgements. Otherwise, you are a snob or a fool or both." His 16 books and hundreds of research articles continue to serve as foundational texts in the study of winemaking and sensory evaluation.
The Maynard A. Amerine Papers include correspondence, teaching files, research and writing on grape growing, wine production, and sensory evaluation. There are also copies of Amerine’s speeches, travel diaries and itineraries, collected foreign and domestic wine labels, menus, photographs, and memorabilia.