"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
"Candid, crashing and trashing some of the wine world’s favorite mythology to entertaining effect."—Doug Frost Kansas City Star
"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"Sizable in terms of the rich historical content and context of the topic.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
"This is a masterful survey of French wine that takes us from the Etruscans through the modern love affair with
terroir. For those interested in wine and wine history, Rod Phillips takes us on an adventure that will broaden both our historical knowledge and our palate."—Kolleen M. Guy, author of
When Champagne Became French"This is a landmark book. Phillips captures with great authority the ups and downs of the world’s most illustrious winemaking nation and tells the story of French wine from its beginnings 2,500 years ago to the present day. The history of France’s big three wine regions—Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne—are given special attention, but other regions are also part of the story. Lively, serious, and engaging, Phillips's book provides the only overview of French wine in English."—Noelle Plack, Newman University
"Written with an academic’s knowledge and a connoisseur’s understanding, this magisterial overview is the most authoritative and compelling history of the world’s most important and inspiring wine country."—Neil Beckett, editor of The World of Fine Wine
"“From the Celts to the Cistercians, claret to Chaptal, Rod Phillips tells the story of French wine with the detail and insight that also characterised his
A Short History of Wine. His new book is a brilliant overview of the greatest wine-producing country on earth.”—Tim Atkin MW