Yesterday we the signed the agreement with our new publisher Mondial, which announces that we will publish a real masterpiece in the largest possible format in October this year.
The book’s title is ‘Champagne Opus Magnum’ and it will at least be published in both Swedish and English, but we are of course also looking for international publishers in every conceivable language. In the spring of 2021, we will also come out with a new version of the small pocket-friendly travel guide ‘Champagne Guide’. This means book number 9 & 10.
Of course, the beautiful pictures are taken by Pål Allan and this time I get to work with Sweden’s foremost designer Pontus Frankenstein for the first time.
My goal with the masterpiece is to gather everything I think you can think of that concerns champagne in a single product. As one famous Reims winemaker put it, “Juhlin intends to create a mouth-watering product, once and for all.” A kind of Opus Magnum so he can rest in peace ”.
Of course, I would not express myself so cocky and burdust, but it is true that I have high ambitions to be as updated and comprehensive as possible for the time that prevails right now and therefore chose to make the book awkwardly large and heavy. As I said, I have even chosen to give the brick the grandiose name the winemaker suggested.
It is almost a decade since I did a similar evaluation and so much has happened. Champagne is in a constant state of change that is going faster than ever. Organic and biodynamic wines increase dramatically in number and the vineyard wines pop up like mushrooms from the earth as the number of real champagne enthusiasts increases equally avalanche. It simply pays to invest in quality, which inspires both the small quality-oriented growers and the largest champagne houses to follow the development in the “race” for the demanding customers.
The main reason why I did something about it right now was that, unlike most Swedes, I put myself and my children in voluntary quarantine during the Corona spring. I stayed in my spacious glass-enclosed black wooden piles with a large enough natural plot to exercise on for months. My recipe for escaping reality from the pandemic was to type on the computer all day and watch Bond movies with some good champagne by my side in the evenings. One can rightly claim that the world is facing bigger issues than trivialities such as thinking about what champagne to serve with your asparagus tonight. I am still convinced that all of us who work in the pleasure industry do great good. Just as we need humor and all forms of culture in times of crisis, we need enjoyment and dreams of enjoyment
My main hope attached to this book is that I will be able to inspire you to curiously explore the world’s most fascinating drink in a way reminiscent of mine. It does not matter if you just want to swing with a little champagne terms around the dinner table or shine at the bar, or if you even aim to become a colleague and competitor to me. The main thing is that I give you inspiration to seek knowledge about the drink, which in turn also gives you increased enjoyment. For those of you who are already champagne-saved, I assume you will use this fact-packed book as an encyclopedia. Not least when you want to know a little more about the champagnes you are going to open for dinner or tasting later that evening.
I am of course absolutely sure that you as a member of the Champagne Club will throw yourself over both the little guide and the Champagne Opus Magnum. The latter will include score ratings of 13,000 champagnes, but if you want to read the individual wines’ taste notes, you must log in to the Tasting Library here in the Champagne Club.
STHLM
Richard
You can read more about the books here.
