Beaujolais Wines
Beaujolais wines are made from 100% Gamay grape. It is the most lucrative wine produced in Burgundy France. It is also the best selling Burgundy wine sold in the United States.
The wine is typically fruity and light and is made to be consumed young. It is best when served slightly chilled and a great introductory red wine for those just starting to experiment into the red wine world.
3 Levels of Beaujolais Wines:
Beaujolais - makes up the majority of wines of this
grape varietal. Usually less expensive due to how plentiful it is.
Very easy drinking type of wine with plenty of cherry/strawberry fruit
flavors and acidity. It goes great with food especially summer picnics
or just sipping casually on a hot day.
Beaujolais-Villages
- when looking to purchase and try a higher quality wine varietal from
the gamay grape, look for bottles that say Beaujolais-Villages. This
comes from different villages in Beaujolais in which there are over 30
to select from. These wines are typically more expensive.
Cru
- much higher quality and named after the village that produces it.
They are generally higher in price. There are 10 villages to look for on
the wine labels. Common villages include: Brouilly, Cote De Brouilly, Fleurie, Moulin-A-Vent (A dark rich Beaujolais), Saint-Amour, Chenas, Chiroubles, Julienas, Mogon and Regnie.
What is Beaujolais Nouveau?
This is a very
young, light and fruity Beaujolais. To make this wine, the grapes are
picked, fermented, bottled and ready to drink in a few weeks. It is the
first wine of that years harvest and is released the third Thursday in
November. It's like a sampling of the quality of the Beaujolais for
this vintage year.
For more food and wine pairing ideas please visit:
Wine and Food Pairing
