Cyril J J Berry (1918 – 4 November 2002) was a writer known for his book ''First Steps in Winemaking'', which has sold more than three million copies worldwide.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century,
homebrewing
Homebrewing is the brewing of beer or other alcoholic beverages on a small scale for personal, non-commercial purposes. Supplies, such as kits and fermentation tanks, can be purchased locally at specialty stores or online. Beer was brewed dom ...
in Britain was limited by
tax
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
ation, prohibition, and scarcity of ingredients during wartime. One of the earliest modern attempts to regulate private production was the
Inland Revenue Act of 1880 in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
; this required a 5-
shilling
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...
homebrewing licence. In the UK, in April 1963, the UK
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...
,
Reggie Maudling removed the need for the 1880 brewing licence.
Following the end of sugar rationing in 1953 after the Second World War, and the repeal of the brewing licence, interest in brewing at home started to thrive. Berry was instrumental in this phenomenon as one of the founders of the first British
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
winemakers' circle in
Andover, Hampshire
Andover ( ) is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton, a major tributary of the Test, and is situated alongside the major A303 trunk road at the eastern end of Salisbury Plain, west of the town of Basingsto ...
and three other English counties in the 1950s. The movement grew quickly from these beginnings. By 1960 there were 86 known wine circles in the UK and over 100 by 1961. A 1962 estimate of membership put numbers at 30,000 in the UK alone. There are now hundreds of wine circles throughout the country and even virtual wine circles with online chat sessions and organised tastings. Berry was one of the founders of the National Association of Winemakers (UK) and served as its first chairman from 1960 to 1967. In 1963 he was instrumental in establishing the Winemaking National Guild of Judges (now National Guild of Wine and Beer Judges) and was one of its early chairmen.
Berry also produced the ''Amateur Winemaker'' magazine and published ''First Steps in Winemaking'', ''130 New Winemaking recipes'', and ''Home Brewed Beers and Stouts''. ''First Steps in Winemaking'' is notable as a resource for winemaking technique and recipe, and is still in print following its original publication in 1960. It includes methods for traditional grape wines, as well as "country wines" using seasonal fruit and vegetables, tinned and dried ingredients, and commercial juices. It is the source for the simplest common method for measuring alcohol by volume in wine:
[C.J.J. Berry, 1987, First Steps in Winemaking, eighth edition, Special Interest Model Books Ltd, printed in UK]
*
Prior to his retirement in 1967, Berry worked as a newspaper editor, most notably for the ''Andover Advertiser''. Berry served as mayor of Andover in 1972–73. He was an alumnus of the
Andover Grammar School
John Hanson Community School is a coeducational community secondary school, located in Andover, in the English county of Hampshire.
It was formerly known as Andover Grammar School, which dates back to the 16th century and is the oldest school ...
and published ''Old Andover'', , a collection of local photos and records dating from 1840 to 1960.
Berry died in Nerja, Spain, in 2002.
Publications
''First Steps in Winemaking'',
''130 New Winemaking Recipes'',
''Home-Brewed Beers and Stouts'',
References
External links
''Former Editor Dies'', Southern Daily Echo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Cyril
British writers
British newspaper editors
1918 births
2002 deaths
People from Andover, Hampshire
British winemakers