We're back with the inimitable Charles Curtis MW to kick off the year in style and talk about the region he knows and loves (and drinks) above all others - Champagne.The author of Vintage Champagne: 1899-2019, Charles has an extraordinarily deep understanding of the region and its wines. In this episode, he  takes us on a tour of the region, painting a verbal picture of the hills, the towns, and the vineyards, and offers his critical insight into current trends, top producers, and typical styles. Champagne is increasing establishing itself as a serious wine to be enjoyed as such, not just a fun and fizzy marker of celebration. This shift in perception among collectors is in no small part due to proponents like Charles championing the tremendous quality in these bottles. For those who want to learn more about the world of Champagne - the difference between house and grower Champagne, the various terms you'll find on a label, and the key characteristics of the different grapes in the blend - this is an episode not to be missed.

This week, InVintory launched its newest high-end tier, Opus. A leap above its existing products, Opus is effectively a smart home solution for wine cellars. InVintory builds a custom 3D model of a wine cellar down to the exact wooden case or magnum bottle, which is unlocked on an iPad that is stationed at the cellar door. This allows customers to easily and visually find any bottle at the tap of a button.

To discuss this new product and talk about InVintory more generally, founders  Jeff and Josh Daiter (father and son) joined Yule for an in-person interview at Jeff's condo in downtown Toronto.Learn how Jeff - a retired physician - was inspired to create InVintory after an incident that saw the very bottle he was trying to find in his cellar smash to the floor, and hear how Josh responded to Jeff's request for help and built a rudimentary app over a short family holiday.  The trio also delve into the ethos underlying the company and where they envision it heading in the future.

In this special episode, we sat down with Precious Achiuwa - NBA star for the Toronto Raptors, wine lover, and - we are thrilled to announce - an InVintory brand ambassador.

Precious joins a host of wine-loving athletes in InVintory’s network, including investors Josh Hart and JJ Redick (NBA), and advisor Will Blackmon (NFL), highlighting the continuing trend of athletes discovering and embracing the world of wine collecting.

In this conversation, we delve into Precious' exceptional background, growing up in Port Harcourt, Nigeria (the only NBA player to hail from that city), moving to New York, and then being drafted by the Miami Heat before being traded to Toronto.

We talk about how Precious first developed a taste for wine at a young age, his rookie role carting Jimmy Butler's wine case between games, what he loves about wine and which regions he favors, and his ongoing commitment to helping other kids from Port Harcourt achieve their dreams through his foundation, What If Unlimited.

From fine art to fine wine, Eugene Mlynczyk has long had a passion for the beautiful things in life. He developed an initial love of wine while studying at Stanford University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

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After returning to his native Toronto, he worked for a time in art before pursuing his wine studies in earnest, earning the Master of Wine credential in 2015. Today, Eugene is National Sales Manager at Principle Fine Wines, the luxury arm of Arterra Wines Canada (formerly Constellation Brands).

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In this episode, Eugene takes us on a tour of Canada's main wine regions - the Okanagan in British Columbia, Niagara in the Ontario, and a touch on Quebec and Nova Scotia - and provides a short history of how these regions evolved and where they are today. He dispels any misconceptions that Canada can only produce icewine given the climate, and shares his tips for where to find styles to suit any palate.

In this episode, we delve into the hot topic of wine as an investment.

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More and more platforms are emerging that connect people to wine not as a drink to be consumed, but as an asset to be traded. Vint is one such platform, but a novel one, in that it does not just facilitate investors in purchasing bottles or cases for themselves; it enables investors to acquire fractional shares in thematic collections of investment-grade wines and spirits, to which they might otherwise not have access given the high costs of such wines. For example, to buy a case of DRC would cost tens of thousands of dollars, which puts it outside the scope of most investors. Via Vint, investors can buy shares in such a collection for just $100 each.

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We spoke to Vint COO Adam Lapierre (MW) about why wine investment has picked up speed in recent years, what makes wine a strong financial asset, and how to reconcile collecting and investing for those who are passionate about wine.

Matt Day is the head winemaker at Klein Constantia., the legendary South African estate founded in 1685, that once produced the sweet wine requested by Napoleon on his deathbed.

Situated in beautiful Constantia, just south of Cape Town, the Constantia estate was founded by original Cape Governor Simon van der Stel, shortly after the colony's genesis. It was later split into "Groot" (big) and "Klein" (small). The Sweet Wine of Constantia was favored by aristocrats in 17th and 18th century Europe, before falling into dormancy for a long period characterized by oidium, phylloxera, and quotas under the regulatory system.

In the 1980s, Klein Constantia was revitalized, and since then, has undergone a meteoric rise under the guidance of Bordeaux legends Hubert de Bouard (Chateau Angelus) and Bruno Prats (formerly Cos d'Estournel).

Today, the estate produces a revived version of sweet wine, renamed the Vin de Constance, and specializes in terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc, reminiscent of the great wines of the Loire. In addition, Matt has assumed the helm of sister Anwilka estate to produce exceptional red wine to complement Constantia's whites. The Vin de Constance is considered one of the great sweet wines of the world and is sold on the Place de Bordeaux alongside the likes of Chateau d'Yquem.

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Listen in for the fascinating tale of Klein Constantia's long history, and Matt's own story of how he came to be head winemaker at this legendary estate very early on in his career.

Ian D'Agata will be known to many listeners as the authority on Italian wine. He is a multiaward winning author who has been speaking and writing about wine for thirty years.

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His books (Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs, and Italy’s Grapes and Wines: The definitive Compendium Region by Region) are considered the bibles of Italian wine and have received numerous prestigious awards such as the Louis Roederer International Wine Awards Book of the Year. His latest book, Barolo Terroir: Crus, People, Places is newly launched and attracting similar accolades.

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Ian was a former staff writer at Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Contributing Editor of Decanter, and Senior Editor of Vinous. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the TerroirSense Wine Review and the Chief Scientific Officer of TasteSpirit, China’s leading wine education and media platform, and President of the TerroirSense Wine Academy and Wine Education programs.

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You can find him on instagram @ian_dagata and @terroirsense

Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright was born into the South African wine industry. She has worked on all sides, from owning a famous estate in Stellenbosch - Warwick - to production, sales and media, and writing. She is also a Cape Wine Master, the highest qualification in wine education in South Africa, and she was the youngest person at the time to have achieved this title.

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In 2018, she moved to Canada, yet she has remained strongly engaged in South African wine and wine in general. She is a freelance writer, international wine judge and educator, and currently works at Peter Igel Agencies in Ontario as a wine buyer.

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With her intimate knowledge of the South African wine scene, Jenny well knows every region and producer. In this episode, she shares some of her top tips for those collectors who are new to South Africa, as well as for those looking for some recommendations on great producers to add to the cellar.

John Baker is a successful Australian wine merchant who recently published a book, titled Stalin’s Wine Cellar.

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The book is a personal memoir of John’s adventures in the 1990s pursuing a large, very old wine collection in Tbilisi, Georgia. The collection was rumoured to have belonged to Tsar Nicholas II - the last Tsar of Russia before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.  The collection was then seized by the Communists as state property and allegedly came to be owned by Stalin himself.

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The book is part Assouline’s The Impossible Collection of Wine, with bottles that a collector can only dream of touching, and part Bill Browder’s Red Notice, giving readers a taste of the Wild West of post-Soviet Georgia, where gun buts sticking out of belts was a common sight.

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Find the book on the Penguin Australia bookstore, or simply Google "Stalin's Wine Cellar" to locate a retailer near you.

Bill is the well-loved writer behind the Burgundy Report, which he’s been publishing to share insider tips into the region since 2002.

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What makes the Burgundy Report special is that Bill actually goes and works the harvest each year - and spends ample time in Beaune, so has a wonderful connection to, and understanding of, the place, the people, and the grapes behind the bottles.

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He is also the author of The Finest Wines of Burgundy, a book published by the famed World of Fine Wines magazine. This beautiful guide offers a brief but informative overview of the history and terroir of Burgundy before taking readers on a tour from North to South, wth stops at every notable producer along the way. It is a fantastic introduction to one of the most complex wine regions in the world, and well worth adding to your bookshelf.

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In this episode, we’ll talk through a high-level tour of Burgundy, and get some of Bill's tips on where to look for some outstanding treasures.

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Follow Bill on social: @billnanson

Marc Nadeau is the Managing Director of Académie du Vin, a wine school originally established in Paris in 1973 by Marc’s friend and partner, Steven Spurrier - the wine legend who will be known to many of our listeners as the man behind the 1976 Judgment of Paris.

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Dedicated to bringing a wine education program tailored to wine consumers rather than wine professionals to life, Marc  and Steven revived the Académie du Vin first in Paris and London and then in Canada in 2018. Marc has been instrumental in preserving Steven’s philosophy of wine education, which, although rigorous, is focused on wine appreciation and on equipping wine lovers to derive the most pleasure from every glass.

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In this episode, we talk about the Academie du Vin, but also Academie du Vin Library which is a sister company of sorts that Steven founded to publish great wine books.

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You can learn more about Academie du Vin here: https://www.academieduvin.com/
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You can learn more about Academie du Vin Library here: https://academieduvinlibrary.com/
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Or follow both on social at @academieduvin and @academieduvinlibrary

Originally a chef trained at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, Charles Curtis is now not only a Master of Wine but an esteemed author, journalist, and consultant.

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Through his consultancy, WineAlpha, he  helps curate cellars and provides advice to collectors and the wine trade as well as cellar appraisals.

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His first book, The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy, was released in 2014, and the second, Vintage Champagne 1899 – 2019 was released in 2020. Both are wonderful exposes of these storied regions so great additions to any wine lover’s bookshelf. You can also catch snippets of Charles in Decanter, where he’s a frequent contributor, as well as in other publications.

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He’s the perfect guest to talk auctions as he was the former Head of Wine for Christie’s auction house in both Asia and the Americas.  He joined Christie’s in 2008 from Moet Hennessy USA, where he became Director of Wine and Spirit Education in 2004 after spending a decade in wine sales.

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In this episode we dive into everything you need to know to go buy wines on auction yourself - fair market value, buying strategies, the risk of counterfeits, and more.

As a Bordeaux resident since 2003, Jane Anson brings a level of personal insight into Bordeaux that few wine writers can match. In this episode, she takes us on a survey of Bordeaux - its history, its chateaux, its terroir, and its unique reputation in the world of fine wine. She also shares some of her top producers, along with her favorite vintages.

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Jane developed her expertise as a long-time Bordeaux correspondent for Decanter magazine. She is also an award-winning author and has published numerous books, including most recently Inside Bordeaux - a fantastic deep dive into the region that is a must-have on the bookshelf of any serious Bordeaux collector. In 2021, she founded janeanson.com after leaving Decanter, where she publishes up-to-date reviews and in-depth reports on all the top Bordeaux wines as they're released.
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Jane has also kindly offered all CFTWC listeners 10% off their first year of janeanson.com membership using the code INVIN2023.  Go to janeanson.com to redeem and check out some of Jane’s amazing work.
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You can also connect with Jane on Instagram @jane.anson

François Audouze is known around the wine world for his incredible collection of 40,000 bottles, many of which date back to the early 20th century, and for his particular philosophy on wine. In his view, there is no wine past its prime. Every wine is an experience waiting to be had, and to approach it with humility and curiosity and emotion, not with an intellectual desire to judge and rate, is the only way in which to unlock its full pleasure.

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In this episode, we talk about Francois’ own collection, his unique method of opening a wine - the Audouze method, the legendary wine dinners he hosts in France, and, of course, some of his most memorable bottles, as well as his personal idol and friend, Aubert de Villaine, the proprietor of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Learn more about Francois and follow him on social media for ample stories of the amazing bottles he opens and his impressions of them:

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Instagram: @francoisaudouze

‍Website: http://www.wine-dinners.com/en/

‍Blog: http://www.academiedesvinsanciens.org/