The French chemist Jean-Antoine Claude Chaptal, Comte de Chanteloup (1756-1832) became Minister of the Interior and Agriculture under Emperor Napoleon (1769-1821). He introduced the metric system of weights and measures in France and invented the method of extracting sugar from sugar beet. The French Revolution, triggered by the storming of the Bastille in 1798, led to a total decline in viticulture in France towards the end of the 18th century and wine adulteration was the order of the day.

Chaptal fought against this abuse, but was in favour of an idea of the chemist Pierre-Joseph Macquer (1718-1784) that had been known for some time. In 1801, as the responsible minister of agriculture in France, he authorised the enrichment of grape must with sugar in solid form (cane or beet sugar) or concentrated grape must in exchange for a corresponding tax levy, in order to increase the alcohol content.
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