Cyril Berry

Author

1918 – 2002

81

Who was Cyril Berry?

Cyril J J Berry, widely cited as CJJ Berry, is best known as the author of the popular book First Steps in Winemaking, which has sold more than three million copies worldwide.

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, homebrewing in Britain was limited by taxation, 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; this required a 5-shilling homebrewing licence. In the UK, on April 1963, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Reggie Maudling removed the need for the 1880 brewing licence.

Following the end of sugar rationing 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 winemakers' circle in Andover, Hampshire 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 and served as its first chairman from 1960 to 1967. In 1963 he was instrumental in establishing the Winemaking National Guild of Judges and was one of its early chairmen.

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Born
1918
Nationality
  • United Kingdom
Profession
Died
Nov 4, 2002

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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