Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Rod Phillips' comprehensive book,
French Wine: A History, is an absolute tour de force, sure to be an instant classic." -- Pam Strayer * Wine Country Geographic *
"Offers insight on France's modern rise to wine world prominence, taking us back through several eras (Enlightenment to the Middle Ages, and beyond) to show us that the country's current premiere status was hard-won. Wine does not exist in a vacuum, and Phillips touches on several of the industry's outside forces in France, including religion and politics — two things you want to avoid talking about when you're drinking, but should feel free to read about anytime." -- Michael Austin * Chicago Tribune *
"A fascinating book that belongs on every wine lover’s bookshelf." * The Wine Economist *
"An absolute tour de force, sure to be an instant classic." * Organic Wines Uncorked *
"A Must Have for any wine lover. It is composed of exceedingly good information - a well researched substantive book that is a very satisfying read. I dare you not to underline half of it." * Organic Wines Uncorked *
"History buffs and French wine fans will enjoy." * Winnipeg Free Press *
"Almost every page contains a gem." -- Henry Jeffreys * The Guardian *
"Phillips' lively masterwork seamlessly wraps culture, politics and religion into an adventurous saga covering 25 centuries and a fascinating array of happenings into a compelling and engaging narrative. History lessons should always be this engrossing." -- Bill Ward * Star Tribune *
"Phillips has packed so much into this book that no one-page review will ever do it justice, and neither would there be any point in writing more. He writes so much better than I can summarise. With so much exquisite detail, and yet with the rare ability to keep looping the reader back to the big picture, he rewards anyone who is remotely curious about how we've got to where we are with French wine. It is not a paean to French wine, and neither is it a deposition. It's the piecing together of a jigsaw puzzle, and whether you like the end picture or not is entirely up to you."
* JancisRobinson.com *
"It’s a book to read for its unstoppable torrent of fascinating and often surprising details." -- Andrew Jefford * Decanter *
"This is addictively readable history, Phillips’s easy style backed up by formidable research." * New Statesman *
"Sizable in terms of the rich historical content and context of the topic. . . . It’s not a fast or particularly easy read, but ultimately a worthwhile one." * 1WineDude *
"Phillips’s masterly survey of the history of French wine covers a 2,500-year span from 500 BCE to the present day. Deeply knowledgeable, remarkably clear, and consistently readable, it is the first such history in the English language." * The Social History of Alcohol and Drugs *
"For the first time in English, this book comprehensively addresses the study of the production, consumption, and trade of wine in France from the beginning of the activity to the present day. . . . Constitutes an interesting contribution and an essential reference on the subject." * Journal of Wine Economics *
"A masterpiece in its genre and should be a must in the bookshelf of anyone interested in French wines." * Vinforum *
“From the Greeks and Romans, the Black Death, the Classification of 1855,Phylloxera, and two world wars, do you need all this information? If you’re a wine guy… you do!”
-- Tom Simoneau, * KSRO/The Radio Wine Guy *
Table of ContentsLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
A NOTE ON USAGE
INTRODUCTION
1. FROM THE BEGINNINGS TO 1000 CE
2. THE MIDDLE AGES: 1000–1500
3. NEW WINES, NEW REGIONS: 1500–1700
4. ENLIGHTENMENT AND REVOLUTION: 1700–1800
5. STABILITY AND GROWTH: 1800–1870
6. PHYLLOXERA AND RENEWAL: 1870–1914
7. PINARD AND POSTWAR FRANCE: 1914–1930
8. FROM DEPRESSION TO LIBERATION: 1930–1945
9. FRENCH WINE REINVENTED: 1945 TO THE PRESENT
CONCLUSION
NOTES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
