He is best known as the inventor of the first
coca wine,
Vin Mariani, in 1863, made from
Bordeaux wine and coca leaves. His contribution was to introduce the coca leaf indirectly to the general public. Mariani imported tons of coca leaves and used an extract from them in many products. It was Mariani's coca wine, though, that made him rich and famous. Mariani was also awarded with a medal of appreciation from
Pope Leo XIII. This tonic wine,
Vin Mariani, has been described as an inspiration for
John S. Pemberton's 1885
coca wine drink,
Pemberton's French Wine Coca and the ancestor of
Coca-Cola. "Marketed as a 'brain-tonic', French Wine Coca was re-launched in 1886 as Coca-Cola" ==Works==