Fabien Montcher is associate professor of history and director of the Center for Iberian Studies at Saint Louis University. He specializes in the history of knowledge and politics with an emphasis on Iberia from the 1400s to 1800s. His research interests include the Spanish and Portuguese monarchies, the history of empires, the history of history, Mediterranean history; as well as the history of art, food and the environment.

After training as a professional historian in both France and Spain, Fabien moved into American academia to pursue and expand the range of questions that shape his scholarship. He authored a book on Late Renaissance politics, Mercenaries of Knowledge, and is currently writing a new monograph on the political history of citrus fruits. His research has been supported by numerous academic organizations, including the UCLA Clark Library, the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. Fabien also cultivates an unquenchable curiosity and enthusiasm for all things related to wine.