MON DOCTEUR LE VIN By Gaston Derys and Raoul Dufy

An Artful Book on Wine Originally Published in Paris Released by the Henry McBride Foundation

“Mon Docteur Le Vin” (My Doctor, Wine), originally published in Paris in 1936, is being released in an English translation for modern-day enjoyment by the Henry McBride Foundation, a non-profit that benefits young artists. A humorous reflection on the social pleasures of wine and its apparently healthful properties, “Mon Docteur Le Vin” entertains, amuses and visually delights the reader with Raoul Dufy’s vivacious watercolor illustrations.


A foreword by Paul Lukacs — educator, author and wine columnist — establishes the historical context of this small volume, written for promotional purposes at the time. “This would be a pretty piece of propaganda were it not for the fact that the book plays a small part in a much larger story, that of the changing face of wine in French and indeed all Western culture,” he writes.

Light-hearted yet pithy text by Gaston Derys, a French writer and director of the Paris Museum of Design in the 1920s and 1930s, the book provides a quaint glance at upper middle class French society and wine’s image during this era. The author quotes many medical professionals, who favored an amiable glass of wine as a healthful tonic. “Wine makes our mood joyous, sharpens our judgement, and makes us inclined to be affectionate by delighting the senses, warming the heart, and stimulating the brain,” states Professor Pousson of the School of Medicine in Bordeaux.

Named for the pre-eminent American art critic of the 20th century, the Henry McBride Foundation co-published the book with Yale University Press. An ideal gift for the holidays, “Mon Docteur Le Vin” is available nationally at Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Borders Books, Amazon.com and through the foundation web site at www.henrymcbride.org. The suggested retail price is $19.95. Other items, such as note cards and ceramics featuring the original “Mon Docteur Le Vin” artwork by Raoul Dufy, are also available. All profits from the sale of this book are used in the support of opportunities for young artists throughout the world and children’s charities.

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