Wine-drinking in the Pays de Vaud in the 1780s was not just a bodily gratification; it was also an exercise of judgment and a display of character. You can picture the scene.  It is early evening, as a small group of well-to-do men gather round a table bearing glasses and bottles. If it is summer, perhaps they are outside on the terrace looking beyond fields and vineyards, over the lake towards Evian.  If it is winter, they are inside in a long library, lit by candles and sconces.  The bottle is opened and poured. They swirl, sniff, and sip. Then M. de Saussure takes a sheet of paper, dips his pen, and begins slowly and carefully to write.