Beaujolais: Beaujonomie

Coincidence or not, the names of the most famous French wine regions start with a B: Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Bandol and... Beaujolais. The latter is somewhat less famous, which is entirely unjustified. WINELIFE set out in this underrated wine region and discovered the phenomenon of Beaujonomie.
Text: Petri Houweling

Beaujonomie

Beaujonomie is a Beaujolais total experience. It is the opportunity to get to know all aspects of this special wine region. It works like this: a large number of winemakers hold open houses over the weekend. That house can be quite different, ranging from a simple barn to a fancy chateau. The similarity is the warm welcome with a beautifully laid table and opened wine bottles. It is the opportunity to taste their wines - preferably served from magnums - with all sorts of delicious regional dishes. The 'meal' ranges from a simple aperitif to a gourmet five-course meal cooked by a famous chef. The aim of this gathering is la joie du Beaujolais experience, to meet the makers in a relaxed way and immerse yourself in this amazing area for a while. It is a popular fest, so booking is essential. 

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé 

But most of us are familiar with Beaujolais. As a wine region, Beaujolais became best known for its Nouveau wine. You know, that very young uncomplicated fruity and fresh wine with hefty acidity. It was launched widely and with much fanfare on the third Thursday of November. In the second half of the 20th century, this wine was so popular that yields were increased and gamay was planted outside the terroir to meet demand. You can guess the result, quality went down rapidly. Unfortunately, this was also when New World wines appeared on the European market. These were often just as fruity, but of higher quality and more affordable. As a result, Le Beaujolais Nouveau became more passé then arrivé was. Still, this was a positive development, as by necessity the focus then shifted to the 10 Cru's.

Further reading? You will find more information in WINELIFE Magazine, issue 85. You can order this here. 

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