Rod Phillips’ French Wine: A History (2016) receives a stunning review in one of the top journals in the field. Andrew W M Smith of the University of Chichester calls it “a sweeping survey of existing works with a nuanced analytical touch, this is a grand history of France’s wine. Rod Phillips covers a vast timespan and a hugely diverse array of different sources: a challenging task, but one which has been deftly met. Allowing ample pauses for story-telling amidst the narrative sweep, Phillips’ book is impressive and entertaining in equal measure, addressing French wine long before there was even a France.”
Phillips is Professor of modern european history. He writes a weekly wine column in the Ottawa Citizen and in addition to his academic duties frequently judges wine competitions in Canada, the US, and Europe.