BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Philip Wagner was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1904, and grew up
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his father was Professor of Romance languages at
the University of Michigan. He received an A.B. degree from the University of
Michigan in 1925, and worked in the publicity department of the General
Electric Company in Schenectady, New York, from 1925 to 1930. In 1930 he moved
to Baltimore, Maryland, where he began work at the Baltimore Sun newspapers. He
was editorial writer for The Sun 1930-1936, London correspondent for The Sun
1936-1937, editor of the editorial page of The Evening Sun until 1943, then The
Sun until 1964.
His interest in grapes and winemaking is evident in a photograph circa
1910 showing him attempting to work a basket press. He became seriously
involved in vineyard cultivation and winemaking after moving to Baltimore
during Prohibition. In 1932 he rented a property in Riderwood, Maryland that
had the remains of a twenty vine vineyard. After working on the vineyard for a
year, he purchased the property and planted his first vines. In 1933, his first
book, American Wines and How to Make Them was published, and it was at the time
the only available book on the subject in English. For a few years he
experimented with grape varieties, and while on assignment in London he
discovered the French hybrids during a visit to an agricultural station in East
Malling. This led to his importing vines from Maurice Baco in 1938, which in
turn led to the nursery that supplied stock for the thousands of Baco vines in
the East today.
In 1940, he and Jocelyn McDonough were married and formed a lifetime
partnership, "J. and P. Wagner, Props.," subsequently expanding the Boordy
Vineyard and establishing the Boordy Winery, the cornerstone for which was laid
in 1943. In 1945, he published A Wine-Growers Guide. This volume became a
crucial reference for grape growers in the East. Philip and Jocelyn traveled
extensively to the wine growing regions of France, Spain, Italy, Portugal,
Yugoslavia, and Russia in their search for disease-resistant varieties of
grapes that would also be suited for cooler climates. After thirty-five years
the winery was sold in 1980, but until 1994 Philip and Jocelyn operated the
vineyard, selling vines and supplies to private individuals and business
concerns before their health became too poor to continue. Philip Wagner died in
1996.
