Beaujolais
November 5th
1:00 - 3:00
Beaujolais is a wine region that comes to mind for many oenophiles during the Autumn, and especially as Thanksgiving draws near. Part of this is certainly due to the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau the week before Turkey Day, but the more classic, structured wines of the region, especially Cru Beaujolais, can be epic, complex wines. Their deep flavor balanced by lighter body and tangy acidity make them a fantastic foil to the warm days and cool nights of the Fall. Similar to Pinot Noir, Beaujolais is also a wonderful wine to pair with a variety of foods – they are some of the few reds recommended to go with fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, are a traditional pairing to many chicken dishes like the classic Coq au Vin, and when you get to the Cru Beaujolais they can even have the power to work with a good steak or duck confit.
Beaujolais is the most southern region of Burgundy, and the only portion where the red wines are made of Gamay rather than Pinot Noir. It is just north of Lyon, and while most of the province is in Burgundy, parts of it edge into the Rhone and Saone-et Loire regions as well. So technically Burgundy, put also unique and distinctive from its northern Burgundy counterparts. The area is known for granite and schist soil in the north, and clay and sandstone soil in the south, which help give the Gamay grapes a unique flavor profile specific to these terroirs. There are three classifications of Beaujolais – Beajuolais AOC, Beaujolais Villages, and Cru Beaujolais. The AOC wines are great easy going everyday wines, sourced from a wide area throughout the region. The Villages wines are more expressive, coming from grapes grown in the hillier areas of the region, and better vineyard sites. The Crus come from 10 villages, mostly in the northern terroirs, are named for their specific village of production, and are fuller bodied and deeper. Beaujolais is not just about red wines though, as there are some beautiful Beaujolais Blanc made of Chardonnay, and some incredible Sparkling wines made there as well. For our tasting Saturday, we’ll try both a Beaujolais Blanc and a Sparkling Rosé, before we delve into both a Beaujolais Villages and a Cru from the village of Fleurie. Our guide for this tasting will be Greg Pfaender, our good friend who represents Authentique Vin, one of favorite importers. We hope you can join us for perfect Fall tasting on Saturday.
Domaine Franck Besson ‘Rose Granit’ Méthode Traditionnelle
Beaujolais, France, 2019
Domaine Franck Besson ‘Les Chardonnerets’ Blanc
Beaujolais, France, 2021
Jean-Michel Dupré ‘Vignes de 1940’
Beaujolais-Villages, France, 2021
Yohan Lardy ‘Le Vivier’ Cru Fleurie
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France, 2021
*** For those interested in Beaujolais Nouveau, we’ll have more information on that annual release in the very near future. We are hopeful that our supply this year will arrive by its traditional date the week before Thanksgiving, but there is a chance it will be slightly delayed this year.
1:00 - 3:00
Beaujolais is a wine region that comes to mind for many oenophiles during the Autumn, and especially as Thanksgiving draws near. Part of this is certainly due to the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau the week before Turkey Day, but the more classic, structured wines of the region, especially Cru Beaujolais, can be epic, complex wines. Their deep flavor balanced by lighter body and tangy acidity make them a fantastic foil to the warm days and cool nights of the Fall. Similar to Pinot Noir, Beaujolais is also a wonderful wine to pair with a variety of foods – they are some of the few reds recommended to go with fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, are a traditional pairing to many chicken dishes like the classic Coq au Vin, and when you get to the Cru Beaujolais they can even have the power to work with a good steak or duck confit.
Beaujolais is the most southern region of Burgundy, and the only portion where the red wines are made of Gamay rather than Pinot Noir. It is just north of Lyon, and while most of the province is in Burgundy, parts of it edge into the Rhone and Saone-et Loire regions as well. So technically Burgundy, put also unique and distinctive from its northern Burgundy counterparts. The area is known for granite and schist soil in the north, and clay and sandstone soil in the south, which help give the Gamay grapes a unique flavor profile specific to these terroirs. There are three classifications of Beaujolais – Beajuolais AOC, Beaujolais Villages, and Cru Beaujolais. The AOC wines are great easy going everyday wines, sourced from a wide area throughout the region. The Villages wines are more expressive, coming from grapes grown in the hillier areas of the region, and better vineyard sites. The Crus come from 10 villages, mostly in the northern terroirs, are named for their specific village of production, and are fuller bodied and deeper. Beaujolais is not just about red wines though, as there are some beautiful Beaujolais Blanc made of Chardonnay, and some incredible Sparkling wines made there as well. For our tasting Saturday, we’ll try both a Beaujolais Blanc and a Sparkling Rosé, before we delve into both a Beaujolais Villages and a Cru from the village of Fleurie. Our guide for this tasting will be Greg Pfaender, our good friend who represents Authentique Vin, one of favorite importers. We hope you can join us for perfect Fall tasting on Saturday.
Domaine Franck Besson ‘Rose Granit’ Méthode Traditionnelle
Beaujolais, France, 2019
Domaine Franck Besson ‘Les Chardonnerets’ Blanc
Beaujolais, France, 2021
Jean-Michel Dupré ‘Vignes de 1940’
Beaujolais-Villages, France, 2021
Yohan Lardy ‘Le Vivier’ Cru Fleurie
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France, 2021
*** For those interested in Beaujolais Nouveau, we’ll have more information on that annual release in the very near future. We are hopeful that our supply this year will arrive by its traditional date the week before Thanksgiving, but there is a chance it will be slightly delayed this year.