Beaujolais-The Joyous Country Wines of Two Seasons

“Look into a glass of wine from Beaujolais and see the harmony of the hillsides, the smiles of the winegrowers, and the charm of the vineyards and its cellars.” The late Compte Henri de Rambuteau and former president of Confrérie des Compagnons du Beaujolais said this of his beloved province of Beaujolais to an American friend.

There is no other wine in France that epitomizes the personality of the area’s countryside and its people, as much as the wine from Beaujolais. A single mouthful of this wine reveals a subtle effervescence that bursts forth with mouthwatering fruity berry flavors, beckoning the introduction of food. The French enjoy this light red wine with almost any dish, including fish.

The ability of these wines to accompany such a wide variety of food comes from their simple, almost innocent nature. The first sip will be as delightfully revealing as the last swallow, pleasant and fruity. Its lighthearted feel in the mouth invites the company of sausages, hearty vegetables such as mushrooms and potatoes, roasted chickens or rich creamy quiches, brimming with vegetables or ham or both. The wines of Beaujolais are the perfect choice for springtime’s lighter fare or as a year round, everyday table wine.

November is harvest time in the province of Beaujolais. There are a total of twelve growing areas or appellations in this province. Only two of the twelve appellations, Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, situated in the southern half of the province are the home of Beaujolais Nouveau (new Beaujolais). This “new” wine, released as early as three weeks after harvesting is an exuberant expression of the ancient winemaking process called carbonic maceration. Very few wine growing regions, other than Beaujolais, still use this method. First, whole grapes internally ferment for several days while sitting in steel vats, then the grapes undergo crushing and fermentation to become wine.

The color of Beaujolais Nouveau has an appealing luminous iridescence. The strawberry aromas wafting from this “new” wine are light and fresh, provoking a Proustian memory of summer mornings on a country fruit farm. When sipped it dances on our palates with mild fruity acids; a good-natured companion to whatever food we are having.

In April, all twelve of the appellations in the province, including Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, release what the French refer to as the “mature” Beaujolais. In just a few short months, after carbonic maceration takes place and waiting in wood barrels, the “mature” wines replace the “new” wine. They are whimsically playful on the palate and spring into our mouths alive with light-hearted fruity energy, slightly tempered by their brief stay in wood barrels.

Beaujolais’ location is near perfect for growing grapes. Their winemakers say that their vineyards are where the winds of the Atlantic Ocean and Loire River Valley join with the winds coming up from the Rhone River Valley and the Mediterranean Sea, to caress their vines. The province lies southeast of Paris between the celebrated terroir (soil) of Burgundy, at its northern most point and south to Lyon, the home of some of the most celebrated restaurants in France.

The long history of Beaujolais, the wine and the region, is one of honest, hardworking people making an unpretentious drinking wine for everyone to enjoy. Their winemaking skills pass on from generation to generation. Some of the winemaking families in Beaujolais have lived there for many generations. Each succeeding generation grows up with the feel of the soil on their hands and an understanding of the grape that sitting in a university classroom cannot impart. Long ago, long before wine cooperatives were established and prior to négociants selling most of the wine produced in Beaujolais, their winemakers sold their wine by the barrel, directly to the cafés as far south as the city of Lyon.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé!
Every year, in the cold darkness of night, on the third Thursday of November, precisely one minute past midnight, caravans of trucks laden with millions of cases of Beaujolais Nouveau, stream away from the vineyards in the southern half of Beaujolais to distribute their fêted cargo. Celebrating the arrival of “Beaujolais Premeur”, its original name, is a two hundred year old French tradition that originated with horse drawn carts delivering barrels of the “new” wine throughout the nearby towns and villages.

Today, not just the French but also the world celebrates Beaujolais Nouveau’s arrival. In cities all over the world, from Paris to New York, in wine shops and restaurants, posters are proudly displayed declaring, Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé! No wine’s release is as heralded or as anticipated as that of Beaujolais Nouveau.

In the springtime, when the excitement of Beaujolais Nouveau has subsided, the “mature wines” of Beaujolais takes center stage. These are the wines from the appellations of Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côtes de Brouilly, Brouilly, Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, that are slightly aged compared to their “new” wine cousin. In human terms, the “mature wines” would be akin to teenagers, still teeming with unbridled energy but less youthful, by comparison to their “new” born relative.

A favorite of mine from this historic French region and a very good expression of the “mature wine” from Beaujolais is from Chateau de La Chaize, in Brouilly. The domaine or property is one of the largest and grandest in the region. The same architect of the Palace of Versailles, built for Louis XIV, signed the château’s plans; their sumptuous, regal gardens are the work of the same designer of the beautiful and colorful Tuileries Gardens, adjacent to the Louvre, in Paris. The wine of Chateau de La Chaize is estate bottled and is one hundred percent Gamay, which is the principal grape of Beaujolais. It is an affable, fruity wine that feels as if it is gently sparkling on the palate. I have been enjoying this wine for over ten years and each vintage is consistently pleasurable with almost any food.

Delight in any of the wines from Beaujolais while they are young, within six months after the November release for Beaujolais Nouveau; drink the “mature wines” within one year to three or possible four years after their date of vintage. Remember the pleasure of Beaujolais lies within its youthful exuberance. It excites the palate with mild fruity acids; the aromas inspire memories of fresh cut fruit, with hints of garden soil. The colors are invariably shimmering garnet, luring the beholder to take pleasure in the joyous country wines from Beaujolais.

This year, burst forth into springtime with me and enjoy any of the lively, energetic wines from Beaujolais!
Bernard Berlin