The prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards ceremony, an international event celebrating editorial excellence in the world of taste, was held in the picturesque setting of Estoril. Among the winners, the photography book Généalogie, a tribute to the Maison’s eponymous vintage, stood out, winning the Special Awards category. The work, an elegant visual narrative by renowned photographer Giò Martorana, was conceived by the Maison de Champagne de l’Aube, Comte de Montaigne, and expresses its soul with refinement and artistic vision.
“We are delighted and proud of this prestigious award, which reinforces our philosophy and our passion for art, photography, design, authenticity, and savoir faire. Comte de Montaigne doesn’t just tell the story of a Champagne: it tells a vision. And today, thanks to this prestigious recognition, that vision is celebrated and shared with the world,” explains Stéphane Revol, CEO of Comte de Montaigne.
We have always supported art in all its forms: from photography to painting to sculpture. The recently inaugurated Maison Montaigne (Milan’s headquarters for our international hospitality) is a temple where art breathes and blends with our Champagnes, in a sensory journey that caresses the senses and the soul, transporting visitors into the worlds of internationally renowned artists.
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards: Généalogie, the photography book by Giò Martorana and Comte de Montaigne, wins
Considered the Oscars for food and wine publishing, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards is one of the most coveted international competitions. Founded in 1995 by the creative vision of Edouard Cointreau, each year it brings together the best publications and television productions dedicated to food and wine from over 200 countries. A true global summit of excellence, publishers, authors, chefs, and journalists meet to celebrate the culture of taste in a competition inspired by the values of loyalty and sharing inherent to the Olympic Games.
In 2022, Maison Comte de Montaigne decided to launch a futuristic, avant-garde, and visionary publishing project, entrusting its artistic direction to renowned photographer Giò Martorana. Thus was born Généalogie, a work that, starting from the places, objects, and colors that give rise to its prized Cuvées, narrates the story of champagne in a visual journey full of inspiration. Created to mark the launch of the Maison’s vintage collection – “Généalogie 2008” – the volume contains over one hundred original and deeply evocative photographs, giving shape to a story in which the spirit of the Maison comes to life in images of rare intensity.
More than a simple photography book, Généalogie is a work of editorial design that celebrates the very essence of the Maison: unique in its origins, its chosen grape variety, and its exclusive approach to the production process. A volume that embodies elegance, innovation, and character.
Giò Martorana’s creativity moves freely, without boundaries, in a continuous visual metamorphosis where light, shadow, and color intertwine, creating scenarios suspended between reality and imagination. From the 2008 vinyl record featuring the Généalogie Compilation vibrating on a turntable, to the most evocative views of Troyes—the Maison’s historic headquarters—to the Généalogie bottle emerging from the earth to become an abstract form and pure chromatic expression: each shot is a poetic fragment of a visual genealogy that excites and surprises.
This precious volume was created to illustrate the Maison’s identifying values – Authenticity, Bon Vivre, Complexity and Elegance – in an innovative and cutting-edge way, celebrating its history and its futuristic vision.
