WE ARE UNCOVERING AND REJUVENATING hidden treasure on Ile de Bendor in southern France. That's where we've been on-and-off since December. Exposition Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux (EUVS), a monument to the wine and spirits industry, was erected by Paul Ricard to stand as a "permanent encyclopaedia" of an industry that he felt forms "an integral part of civilization which cannot die and confidently carries the torch of the future."

It is a drink historian's dream project: a gastronomic archaeological excavation that is already yielding a wealth of knowledge about an industry that spans thousands of years and influenced cultures around the globe. Talk about a tasty way to spend 2007 and 2008.

Southern France is a very appropriate location for a monument to the wine and spirits industry. France is regarded as the birthplace of viniculture and the producer of the world's finest wines. However, few people know that Southern France is also the birthplace of European distillation and has been an essential crossroads in the evolution of alcoholic beverages throughout its history.

The alembic still and distillation were first imported by the Saracens and Moors, who invaded Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence between 800 and 1200 AD. French and Catalan scholars of those regions were the first to translate the works of Persian scholars such as Geber and Al-Razi, who had refined the early distillation techniques handed down from ancient China and India. These men were the first Europeans experiment with the distillation of potable alcohol and praise its value to humankind.

At the University of Montpellier (the seat of all European scientific learning in medieval times), alchemist Arnaud de Villeneuve first proclaimed in the 1300s that he discovered the long-sought universal panacea that prolonged life, aqua vitae or eau-de-vie ("water of life"). De Villeneuve is widely acknowledged for his discovery or perfecting of the mutage fortification process, adding spirits to wine to halt fermentation and preserve sweetness. He is also considered to be the father of armagnac.

De Villeneuve's contemporary and another Montpellier scholar, Ramon Llull (aka: Doctor Illuminatus), praised aqua vitae as "an element newly revealed to man, but hid from antiquity because the human race was then too young to need this beverage which was destined to revive the energies of modern decrepitude." Llull experimented and documented a number of recipes for potable alcohol, which inspired scholars throughout Europe to apply the knowledge to locally sourced ingredients, ranging from fruits and flowers, to milk and grains.

This little bit of background gives you a good idea why EUVS is situated in a historically-relevant place in the world.

But what does EUVS contain?

In the nearly 50 years since its opening on 12 July 1958, EUVS amassed approximately 8000 bottles of wines and spirits, largely donated by invitation from producers around the world. So many surprises and discoveries await visitors that it is impossible to assemble a brief list of highlights. There are bottles of 1811 Roi du Rome cognac, rare French tonic wines and liqueurs popular during La Belle Epoque (1890-1914), Chinese medicinal wines and vermouths, a triple-anisette "San Pietro" produced by the Vatican pharmacy, Zubrowka bison grass vodka made in France, to name a few.

Within these same walls, Paul Ricard also housed a glassware collection that presented works from some of the world's finest houses. Baccarat, Val-Saint-Lambert, Portieux et Vallerystahl, Daum, Nason Moretti, Salviati are showcased alongside many other famous makers, as well as glassware hand-blown by artisans working on Ile de Bendor.

We recently uncovered a collection of about 10,000 wine and spirits labels from around the world plus thousands of menus dating from 1889 to 1963. Many of the menus are rare finds: banquet menus from top Parisian hotels and restaurants that hosted pre-World War I and pre-World War II events for imminent political figures; coronation dinner menus from London's Dorchester Hotel and New Coconut Grove; plus a broad range of menus from the world's great restaurants and hotels. We also unearthed scholarly papers on viniculture and distillation that were presented at EUVS during the 1960s, just before production breakthroughs changed the face of the industry.

The EUVS building itself is a testament to the influence that wines and spirits have had on the fine arts. The statues of Bacchus and La Vigne that guard the entrance to EUVS were sculpted by the famed Provencale artist Louis Botinelly (1883-1962). The ceramics that grace the facade were crafted by Mirielle Ginard and Henri Couve.

Within EUVS itself, frescoes by three notable artists and nine art students depict the history of wines and spirits through the ages. Illustrator Georges Potiers (b.1929) painted "Le Secret de la Fabrication de l'Anis" and also designed EUVS's first logo.

"Le Vin des Guerriers" was executed by Milanese artist Gianni Bursamolino (b.1928), who had been invited to work in France by Ricard and Pablo Picasso in 1956. The next year, he worked with Ricard to launch the art competition that brought together the young students who created the additional frescoes. (His work was later exhibited at Galèrie de Bendor alongside Salvador Dali's "La peche au thon" ["Tunafishing"], which was painted on the island between 1966 and 1967.)

Nearly 500 square meters were allocated to the winners of the student competition. Aged 17 to 22 years old, the young artists involved in the project included Raymond Hurtu (b.1935) of Nancy, Danièle Bonnet of Avignon, Roger Remy of Rouen, Albert Martin of Aix-en-Provence, Michèle Dolfi-Mabily of Toulon, Michael Martin of Angers, and Alain Bailhache (b.1937), and D'Orval from École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs de Paris. At the inauguration of EUVS, three of these young talents received additional awards from a jury for their work: Hurtu received 100,000 francs for "Le Vin Nouveau", while Bonnet and Remy received 50,000 francs for their frescoes.

The passage of time is not always kind to historical collections such as this. In the decades that followed, the museum's purpose and mission became increasingly veiled memories as stewardship for its care changed hands. That is until this year.

The current growing interest in the history of wines, spirits, and cocktails within the industry and among consumers interested in gastronomy (the study of the relationship between food and culture) has ignited the revival, preservation, and expansion of this landmark collection: a massive project that will culminate in the grand reopening of EUVS in July 2008, marking the museum's fiftieth anniversary.

Sponsored by S.A. Paul Ricard and in collaboration with the International Bar Business School, we are documenting and preserving the EUVS collections throughout 2007 and 2008. We are focusing the exhibition on the portrayal of the centuries-old development of the wine and spirits industry and its relationship to the gastronomic sciences. From the early development of viniculture in Europe and of distillation in Asia, the exhibition will unveil the evolution of these combined arts as they were introduced in France (armagnacs and eau-de-vies), Italy (liqueurs and bitters), Germany (kirschwassers), Netherlands (genièvres), Eastern Europe (vodkas), and Great Britain (whiskys and gins) before making their way to the New World (rums, tequilas, piscos, and cachacas).

The EUVS exhibition will also demonstrate the industry's influence on glassmaking in a display of unique tasting and drinking vessels; on the arts, in displays of advertising and promotional materials; and on gastronomy through the presentation of its menu collection and scholarly papers.

Revolving exhibits changing twice yearly will highlight distinctive selections from this enormous collection. We are already planning showcases of the history of absinthe, pastis, and anisette plus a presentation of distinctive spirits packaging.

In keeping with Paul Ricard's wish to maintain a "permanent encyclopaedia" of wine and spirits, we are creating both a printed and online database of wines and spirits with histories, descriptions, and photographs of each item in the collection. A library of bottles and artifacts not on current exhibit will be made available by application-only to scholars, researchers, industry executives, and International Bar Business School students when conservation efforts are completed in 2008.

Additionally, we are planning a series of events and workshops for 2007 that will educate the public on a broad range of wine and spirits categories and on the preservation of historical artifacts.

As director/curators of the EUVS project, we are assembling a team of authorities and volunteers from Europe and the US to complete the many phases of the restoration which include photographing, cleaning, researching, and documenting of each and every piece in the collection; establishing the wine and spirits encyclopaedia mentioned earlier; establishing a museum policy manual; and researching and recording the history of this remarkable museum, as it continues to educate and enlighten the world about the wine and spirits industry. The team already includes The Worldwide Cocktail Club's Henry Besant and Dre Masso, the International Bar Business School's Eric Fossard, Robert Hess (drinkboy.com), Ted Haigh ("Doc Cocktail").

When completed, the restored museum will be the only one of its kind in the world, presenting an international view of the industry and its influence on culture as a whole.

It is vital to study and preserve the wine and spirits industry's past. This history is the finest and richest source of inspiration for those who work in the industry. It is the best way to impart knowledge about this integral part of civilization to an increasingly curious public. It is the best way to celebrate the vision of a man who saw the brilliance of the industry's future.