Heinen’s Road Less Traveled: Beaujolais Wine
Have you ever sipped wine from Beaujolais? This oft-overlooked region of France produces some of the most amazing wines in a variety of styles, all from the noble gamay grape and Heinen’s Wine Consultants are excited to share them with you!
The Beaujolais region is just south of the legendary growing area of Burgundy. Rarely grown outside of its home in France, the gamay grape creates wines that are extremely food-friendly at a fraction of the cost of if its northern neighbor.
Going Deeper with the Gamay Grape
The red wines of Beaujolais are made in a distinct style from a unique process with an uncommon grape called gamay. A thin-skinned grape that harkens back to the 15th century, the gamay grape varietal produces wines that are higher in natural acidity, floral in aroma, and very low in tannins. The acidity allows Beaujolais wines to pair extremely well with food, and the low level of tannins reduces the dry, astringent quality that is common of most big red wines. Fermented through carbonic maceration, this unique winemaking process is the key contributor to all of the unique flavor and texture attributes of Beaujolais wines.
Additionally, the moderate climate of Beaujolais results in wines that are naturally lower in alcohol, making them even more food friendly.
A Beginner’s Guide to Beaujolais
Heinen’s wine team has discovered several of the best Beaujolais wines, which are categorized in three levels of quality: Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais-Villages, and Beaujolais Crus.
Beaujolais Nouveau
This is a very specific style of Beaujolais wine produced from the current year’s grape harvest. It is released on the third week of November and is intended to be consumed almost immediately. Bright, fruity, and juicy, it is commonly served as a vibrant cocktail wine paired with light appetizers. Simply pop the cork and enjoy!
The labeling and release of this wine are strictly controlled by the French government, so grab a bottle or two while you can. It only lasts on the shelf for a few weeks!
Beaujolais-Villages
While the gamay grape is grown all over Beaujolais, certain areas within the region produce grapes of higher quality and substance due to their location or climate.
By carefully selecting the best sites or “villages,” these wines essentially take the best grapes from the best sites to make a richer, more complex version of Beaujolais wine. However, this jump in quality doesn’t break the bank as many of the best Beaujolais-Villages wines are available for less than $20.
Beaujolais Crus
“Cru” in French means “growth,” a term the French reserve for indicating an extremely high quality group of vineyards within a designated growing area.
Like the “villages” concept above, these are the top-tier sites in Beaujolais, and they are called out on the bottle label itself. There are ten total Beaujolais Crus, and Heinen’s wine team has recognized five of the greatest “Crus” available:
- Moulin-A-Vent: This region is known for making the sturdiest, most structured, and most age-worthy wines of Beaujolais. Though most Beaujolais should be consumed fresh, this is one of the exceptions.
- Morgon: Also known for wines of weight and structure, the wines of Morgon offer distinct minerality.
- Fleurie: “Fleur” in French refers to “flower,” and the wines produced here are the most floral and aromatic of the Crus sites.
- Chenas: The smallest and “rarest” of the Beaujolais Crus, Chenas wines are not common in the United States. They offer loads of fresh red fruit character with a complex underlying minerality due to the amount of quartz in the soils of this site.
- Brouilly: Located at the bottom of a large hill, the wines of Brouilly are very delicate an easy to drink. They’re the most approachable style of the Beaujolais and are often served in French bistros.
How to Pair Beaujolais Wines
Any of the wines of Beaujolais are wonderful on their own, but given their fruity nature and fresh acidity, they are amazing with Thanksgiving dinner! Not many wines pair well with roasted turkey and the sweet and savory sides of Thanksgiving.
The “Swiss army knife” of the wine pairing world, Beaujolais wines can stand up to red meat, but are equally delicious with a bowl of pasta and red sauce or your favorite pizza. Excellent with salmon as well, anywhere you would enjoy pinot noir, the wines of Beaujolais will sing.
