Books
The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy, 2014
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The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy is a translation from works describing and classifying the vineyards of the Côte d'Or written before the establishment of today's Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in 1936 and a discussion of how they compare to the modern system.
For centuries, a number of authors ranging from learned amateurs to experienced professionals weighed in with their thoughts. Translations from the most notable of these works form the backbone of the present work. |
Claude Arnoux : Dissertation sur la situation de la Bourgogne, sur les vins qu’elle produit (1728); Claude Courtépée et Edme Béguillet : Description historique et topographique du Duché de Bourgogne (1778); André Jullien : Topographie de Tous les Vignobles Connus (1816);
Dr. Denis Morelot : Statistique de la Vigne dans le Département de la Côte d’Or (1831); Dr. Jules Lavalle : Histoire et Statistique et des Grands Vins
de la Côte d’Or (1855); René Danguy et Charles Aubertin : Les Grands Vins de Bourgogne (1892); Camille Rodier : Le Vin de Bourgogne (1920)
More than a dusty history lesson, The Original Grands Crus of Burgundy provides a roadmap for discovering forgotten gems hidden in plain sight. Crucial reading for all who love Burgundy.
Dr. Denis Morelot : Statistique de la Vigne dans le Département de la Côte d’Or (1831); Dr. Jules Lavalle : Histoire et Statistique et des Grands Vins
de la Côte d’Or (1855); René Danguy et Charles Aubertin : Les Grands Vins de Bourgogne (1892); Camille Rodier : Le Vin de Bourgogne (1920)
More than a dusty history lesson, The Original Grands Crus of Burgundy provides a roadmap for discovering forgotten gems hidden in plain sight. Crucial reading for all who love Burgundy.
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“Vintage Champagne: 1899 – 2019” is a deep dive into the world of vintage and prestige cuvée champagne. The book is divided into three parts. The first part contains in-depth profiles of 120 producers of vintage Champagne and their top wines. It is a curated selection that explains the nuance of terroir, method, and history as it describes the wines. The second section is a review of growing conditions each year from 1899 through 2019. The book concludes with a series of seven appendices that provide additional detail and round out this book. I have shared advance copies with some friends. Here are their comments:
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Vintage Champagne: 1899 to 2019, 2020
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"As a Champagne lover, it seems I have been waiting for this book all my life! Although my bookshelves are groaning with wine books, not one covers Champagne vintages and their producers with this level of depth and insight. This book is a must-read for all Champagne lovers with practical advice on which vintages and which producers to choose; but even for casual Champagne drinkers, Charles' enthusiasm and accessible prose makes the book a joy to read." - Jeannie Cho Lee, Master of Wine (Hong Kong)
“His evaluation of the vintages and their history is extremely brilliant. Still, I cannot help but be impressed even more by the producer texts that succeed with the piece of art to combine thousands of factual details with beautiful prose.” - Richard Juhlin, author (Stockholm)
“Drawing on his extensive tasting and travel experience, Charles Curtis has put together an essential reference to Champagne, offering a detailed and insightful examination of vintage champagne and Champagne vintages. This deserves a place in every champagne lover’s library.”
Peter Liem, author (Epernay and New York)
"A rare erudition combined with decades of first-hand experiences, an evocative style and a true passion: with Vintage Champagne 1899-2019, Charles Curtis MW offers us an impressive reference book with perspectives and angles casting a new light on this world-famous region."
Pascaline Lepeltier, Master Sommelier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (New York)
“His evaluation of the vintages and their history is extremely brilliant. Still, I cannot help but be impressed even more by the producer texts that succeed with the piece of art to combine thousands of factual details with beautiful prose.” - Richard Juhlin, author (Stockholm)
“Drawing on his extensive tasting and travel experience, Charles Curtis has put together an essential reference to Champagne, offering a detailed and insightful examination of vintage champagne and Champagne vintages. This deserves a place in every champagne lover’s library.”
Peter Liem, author (Epernay and New York)
"A rare erudition combined with decades of first-hand experiences, an evocative style and a true passion: with Vintage Champagne 1899-2019, Charles Curtis MW offers us an impressive reference book with perspectives and angles casting a new light on this world-famous region."
Pascaline Lepeltier, Master Sommelier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (New York)
Mapping Champagne
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My newest project is in collaboration with cartographer Steve De Long. Together we are producing a work called Mapping Champagne (Cartographie Champagne). We are creating modern maps that build on the pioneering work of Louis Larmat in the 1940s. We begin with the Côte des Blancs and have begun to release the village maps starting with the Grand Crus of Chouilly, Cramant, and Avize.
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Each map is accompanied by a bilingual French and English booklet that provides a tour of the village terroir and their unique wines,
a list of lieux-dits planted with vines in the commune, and a directory of the producers based in the commune. It has been a great pleasure to work with Steve on this project, and his maps are a superb resource, and you should peruse the entire range of his work.
This project is an excellent chance for me to fulfill a career-long desire better to define the detail of the world-class terroirs of Champagne.
a list of lieux-dits planted with vines in the commune, and a directory of the producers based in the commune. It has been a great pleasure to work with Steve on this project, and his maps are a superb resource, and you should peruse the entire range of his work.
This project is an excellent chance for me to fulfill a career-long desire better to define the detail of the world-class terroirs of Champagne.
Freelance Journalism
I have worked as a freelance journalist since 2005. In recent years my writing has focused on Burgundy and Champagne and the wines of Oregon and New York State. I have also written on the wine auction market and collectible spirits. I have worked as a columnist for the Chinese version of La Revue du Vin de France, as a senior editor for Le Pan magazine, and recently as a frequent contributor to Decanter magazine and Decanter Premium.
