Richard Juhlin and his new book Champagne Magnum Opus, the real Champagne Bible

Swedish Richard Juhlin is one of the greatest experts in the world of wine and especially of Champagne. A talent he discovered at eight: «I was with my parents in Germany - Juhlin says during our interview – visiting some friends of my parents on holiday. I was young but the testimony of my family was marked in my memory. Almost as a joke, they made me taste a few drops of four Riesling wines and, as if by magic, for me almost a game, I tried to describe the wines with characteristics that perfectly fit.  I was truly charmed by wine».

Champagne expert Richard Juhlin

Richard’s parents, true wine lovers, monitored the episode and when he was eighteen allowed him to travel and explore the great wine regions, especially those of bubbles: from Spain with Cava to Champagne. They realised that their son needed to study to refine his gift. Richard started to study in Paris to move to be closer to France’s wine regions, with a deep thirst for knowledge.

His research, cataloguing flavours, scents and vintages was obsessive, so much so that he can recognise in a blind tasting as many as 13K Champagnes, an extraordinary olfactory sensitivity.

Today with Champagne Magnum Opus, published in English by RIZZOLI International, he’s presenting his tenth book, the result of three years of research, tastings, and meetings in Champagne where people regard him as one of the top experts on the planet.

An unprecedented, illustrated volume with 350 pages with detailed explanations of vineyards, wineries and bottles, guides the reader on a historical journey across the most famous Maisons of Champagne.

There are photographs from Pål Allan and brand-new recipes from Swedish chef Tommy Myllymäki, perfect to pair with a glass of Champagne. The book is completed by a more scientific section with statistics on Champagne, telephone numbers, websites and the addresses of thousands of producers as well as a glossary.  

«The Nordic cuisine of my country – says Richard – has changed, over the last ten years, the French-inspired gastronomic paradigm but it’s very nice that they can meet again thanks to these pairings with Champagne. A perfect union that shows, once again, how the wine and food evolution has moved from the molecular cuisine of Ferran Adrià to the northern European cuisine made of ingredients that many people had never tasted».

In the book, there are details from the 13’900 Champagnes that Juhlin tasted, with specific descriptions and points. The cover of the book is very significant, and minimalistic, to show the importance of the content. The author often collaborates with magazines like Spectacle du Monde, La Revue de Champagne, Decanter, Wine International, Fine Wine and others. Last but not least, Juhlin is also the founder of champagneclub.com, the most complete website dedicated to Champagne in the world.

Champagne Magnum Opus
Author Richard Juhlin
Rizzoli Internationl
In the book shop and in the online store https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9788891836748/
Recommended price $ 85.00