Professor Dr. Karl J. Trybus Featured At Historical Association Conference

Limestone University Professor Dr. Karl J. Trybus recently presented at the Association for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Association Conference at the University of Colorado.

Each year, the conference brings together historians and scholars of the Iberian and Ibero-American worlds to present their research. The 2023 conference was held this past May.

Trybus presented his paper, “Dangerous Wines: Plagues, Chemistry, and Adulteration in the Late-19th Century.” The presentation explored the perceived dangers of wine adulteration and chemistry for the Spanish wine industry in the era of the great wine plagues.

As he explains, “As the great European wine plagues of the late 19th century ravaged vineyards, producers raced to fill glasses as prices increased. To do so, some used industrial alcohol, water, chemicals, or other items to increase availability. When prices stabilized, French vintners condemned Spanish exports, harming them for decades to come.”

Trybus is the author of the book, ¡Vino!: The History and Identity of Spanish Wine, which was recently published by the University of Nebraska Press. The work explores the changing identity of Spanish wine in both national and international markets from the mid-19th century until the present.

Trybus is Professor of History, Chair of the Humanities and Communication Department, and coordinator for the History and History Pre-Law degrees at Limestone. He teaches a variety of classes in European, Latin American, and Global histories. Trybus received his B.A. in History and Hispanic Studies with Education from Connecticut College and his M.A. in International Studies and Ph.D. in History from the University of Connecticut.

He earned the Fullerton Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award in 2015 and the Limestone University Summer Faculty Research Grant in 2020.