What to Read!

by Edouard Bourgeois

May 11, 2021

I was never the straight A student in school. Being told to study and learn specific topics often did not work with me. It was not due to a lack of interest in learning or laziness (maybe a little) but more because I had my own agenda. For example, I would sneakily be reading a book on the history of the blues in the Mississippi while in science class at age 12.

When I turned 18, I did not know what career path to choose and gave the hospitality industry a try, entering culinary school. It quickly became obvious that this decision proved to be the right one, especially when the topic of wine presented itself.

The reason why I am telling this story of mine is because I found in the subject of wine a meaningful outlet that allowed studying a large spectrum of topics. There is much more than just the trivia question of “what’s the grape variety of Cour Cheverny” (do you know?). Understanding wine means exploring the science of fermentation, the philosophy of so many inspiring producers, the geography of the different wine regions and among all of these subjects I would typically overlook in school, history.

In addition to travelling to wine regions, tasting wines, and meeting various wine producers, reading the right wine books can obviously provide an immense source of information. I recently discovered one of these volumes that I believe should be a reference for all wine afficionados and frankly any history lover. Its title is “Nine Centuries in the Heart of Burgundy” a publication centered on the fabulous story of the Cellier aux Moines, a Burgundy domaine that we are featuring in our live THIRST Class on Saturday May 22nd.

The book features in depth information on the long and eventful history of Burgundy, anecdotes and stunning pictures of the landscape of the region, rare antique maps and other fascinating elements.