Château Haut Brion Takes Us Into Private Cellar Library With New Book A Story Of Gastronomy & Wine
A new hardbound volume entitled ‘A Story Of Gastronomy & Wine, Chateau Haut-Brion Library’ now offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of First Growth estate Château Haut-Brion, opening the doors to its private, rarely seen library.
Put together by New York publishing house Rizzoli, a handwritten note on wine by Cubist artist Pablo Picasso can also be viewed in the new book, which has an MSRP of $85.
Founded in 1525 by Jean de Pontac, the historic estate has borne witness to centuries of pivotal moments in the worlds of wine and gastronomy.
Yet while connoisseurs know Château Haut-Brion for its legendary vintages, few realize the château has quietly assembled a priceless collection of original manuscripts, letters, fine art, and engravings chronicling the history of food and wine.
Among the library’s rarest treasures are more than 7,000 historical volumes, including a 6th-century Egyptian papyrus, a letter attributed to a confidant of Joan of Arc, and a set of 17th-century Japanese scrolls illustrating ceremonial banquets.
The estate’s library also acts as a extraordinary archive for the hospitality trade, housing 471 historic menus and roughly 100 legendary restaurant wine lists that chart the evolution of fine dining and wine’s place at the table. Highlights include an original menu from Louis XIV’s court at Versailles alongside detailed guidebooks to Paris’s earliest dining establishments.
One of the co-authors of the book is himself wine royalty: HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg penned the book alongside Brazilian art historian Pedro Corrêa do Lago. The former is both chairman and CEO of Domaine Clarence Dillon, and owns a portfolio of French wine estates including Château Haut-Brion.
A forward to the book written by the Prince reads: “If you, like me, subscribe to the Drunken Monkey Hypothesis proposed by biologist Robert Dudley, you will accept that food and wine have been inextricably linked long before we had words to describe them… this ritual communion has evolved with us over the millennia.
"From the forest floor to the fine linen of the dining table, the setting has changed but the instinct remains the same. The sensual pleasures that bring us together to break bread and share a glass are not born of mere social niceties; they are deeply rooted in our very need and desire for connection.”
Kanpai!
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
