Burgundy’s ‘original grand crus’ explored in new book

A look at Burgundy and how its wines and vineyards were considered by wine professionals and keen amateurs before the arrival of the AOC system is to be examined in a new book.

Written by Charles Curtis MW (pictured), “The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy” looks at Burgundy in the 18^th and 19^th centuries and, as Curtis explained to the drinks business: “How Burgundy was esteemed prior to the modern period.”

He explained further: “’The Original Grands Crus of Burgundy’ is a translation from works describing and classifying the vineyards of the Côte d’Or written prior to the establishment of today’s system of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in 1936, and a discussion of how these classifications compare to the modern system.

“For centuries, a number of authors ranging from learned amateurs to experienced professionals weighed in with their thoughts.”

Curtis has made use of works such as: “Dissertation sur la situation de la Bourgogne, sur les vins qu’elle produit” (1728) by Claude Arnoux; “Topographie de Tous les Vignobles Connus”(1816) by André Jullien; “Histoire et Statistique et des Grands Vins de la Côte d’Or” (1855) by Jules Lavalle and “Les Grands Vins de Bourgogne” (1892) by René Danguy and Charles Aubertin.

The book covers a great deal of Burgundian history as well as its viticulture and, as Curtis continued, “is aimed at drinkers and collectors of Burgundy wine, history buffs, Francophiles and members of the wine trade.

“It presupposes an interest in the topic – you will see that it is not at all a description of different producers and tasting notes as many books today are, but it is a look into Burgundy’s past.”

The book will available in both paperback and e-book formats on Amazon by 1 November.