The English professor George Saintsbury (1845-1933) was the most influential English literary historian and critic of the early 20th century. From 1895 to 1915, he held the chair of rhetoric and English literature at Edinburgh University and then settled in London as a journalist. He wrote a total of 35 biographies and was praised for his lively style. Saintsbury was a great connoisseur and loved to eat and drink well with friends. The following quotation comes from him: "A good wine delights my senses, makes my mood rejoice and improves my moral and intellectual powers.
He wrote a now legendary private cellar book in which he kept the inventories of two wine cellars. These were obviously very well stocked, for he mentions sherry, port, Madeira (one of his preferences), claret, margaux, Burgundy (e.g. La Tâche), chablis, Château d'Yquem, champagne (e.g. Pommery) and Riesling(Marcobrunn 1880, Jesuit garden 1890, Karthäuserhofberg 1893). Vintages are also judged, he expressly praises 1840 and describes 1841 as very poor. Furthermore there are also data about the market: 1868 fine quality & very high prices, 1869 very fine quality at relatively low prices. But there are also reports about spirits and beers, as well as many interesting details like cellar equipment and accessories like bottles and glasses. Last but not least, it also mentions the guest banquets with the food and drinks served, including a guest list. This multi-published work was first published in 1920 under the title "Notes of a Cellarbook" and at that time was considered an important and forward-looking work on wine and drinking culture.
