"Beaujolais" (wine): categories. "Beaujolais Nouveau" - young French wine

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In the wine-growing regions of many countries, for example, in Transcarpathia, at the end of November you can often see an inscription inviting you to visit the cellar: “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” It translates as follows: "The Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived!"

It is clear that autumn is the beginning of a new year in the cycle of viticulture. But does any young drink that has not gone through a long fermentation have a reason and the right to be called Beaujolais?

Wine is a product not only and not so much of the vine variety and production technology. A huge role in the taste and aroma of the drink is played by climatic conditions and the composition of the soil of the region where the berries ripened. Therefore, it would be incorrect to talk about "Magarach" grown in Massandra, or about the Georgian "Saperavi", that this is Beaujolais Nouveau wine. So what kind of drink is this, the price for a bottle of which is quite high in Moscow? What do sommeliers say about him? You will learn about this from this article.

What is Beaujolais

In Burgundy - the famous wine-producing province of France - there is the Beaujolais region. He is not the most successful in terms of growing vines. If we compare its climatic and soil features with Côte d'Or, whereexquisite varieties of chardonnay and pinot gris, you can say that it would be better if local farmers grew apples.

In the Beaujolais region, only the unpretentious "game" can be cultivated. But this variety of black grapes is very fruitful, and it ripens early. Berry picking begins at the end of August, while October is generally considered the time of the wine "harvest". But this is not the most important thing. A distinctive feature of "game" is that the wine from it cannot be stored for a long time. A maximum of six months - this is the deadline when the bottle must be uncorked and drunk. If other drinks only get better with age, then for Beaujolais wine, the main enemy is time. Well, carpe diem, as the ancients said. Let's seize the day and enjoy what it brings us.

Successful marketing ploy?

In many regions, and not only where Beaujolais is produced, the young wine festival marks the beginning of a new agricultural cycle. What was the past year like for the harvest? This will be shown by an uncorked bottle of wine that has not yet gone through a full course of fermentation. And let the drink be cloudy, its aroma is inexpressive, and the taste is too brutal. Connoisseurs can already tell what he will become when he "mature". Such joyful tastings invariably take place where the vines are grown - in Alsace, the Rhinelands, Italy, Moldova … But only in the Beaujolais region, the celebration of young wine means more than just sampling. If you do not sell the entire batch, you can simply pour it out. So manufacturers are trying to create a hype around their product. And they succeed. because"game" of all varieties produces the most good-looking young wine.

Characteristic variety

As already mentioned, these vines are unpretentious and early give a bountiful harvest. But the variety "Game" was able to divide people into two camps. "Bold and bright wine with a sparkle!" - talk about "Beaujolais" alone. "Sour compote!" others pass judgment.

Even in the sixteenth century, the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy ordered the eradication of "game" on their lands. But since the vines of this variety rescued the winemakers in lean years, the subjects were in no hurry to fulfill the order of their sovereign. But the thirteenth-century troubadour, Jean Bodel of Arras, spoke of Beaujolais as follows: “Wine jumps like a squirrel across the palate. It sparkles, plays and sings. Soak it in the hollow of your tongue, and you will feel how the wine will penetrate into your very heart. Note that the troubadour (by all appearances, not a fool to drink) does not glorify the aroma of Beaujolais, its delicate taste, and so on. He simply praises its effect on the body. Game has almost no tart tannins found in fine wines. There is enough sourness in it to make sommeliers wrinkle their noses contemptuously. Its smell is unsophisticatedly fruity. But he still brings a holiday to the soul.

How disadvantages turn into strengths

If a Frenchwoman can make a hat out of nothing, then her fellow winemakers went even further: they turned a minus into a plus. The fact that gamet wine cannot be stored for a long time made it a welcome guest on the tables of the French at the end of November. Everyone is in a hurry to try the young Beaujolais Nouveau wine. Manufacturersskillfully used the general excitement and tried to open the barrels as early as possible and bottle the drink for sale. The French government had to intervene. First, an edict was issued according to which Beaujolais could only go on sale after November 15th. And in 1985, another date was legally established: the third Thursday of the last month of autumn. Thus, the young wine "Beaujolais" of 2014 appeared on the shelves only from the twentieth of November.

There is another requirement for this alcoholic drink: final fermentation six weeks after harvest. It is necessary to sell the party before March next year.

How the Beaujolais Wine Festival is celebrated

The French are looking forward to the third Thursday of November, like the children of the New Year or lovers' Valentine's Day. Exactly at midnight in the capital of the region - the town of Bozho - the first barrel is uncorked in the main square in the light of torches. Everyone shouts: "Le Beaujolais est arrivé!" The fun begins. Connoisseurs of Beaujolais take a sample from the new crop, and the rest of the public just celebrates. After all, nothing lifts the spirits like “daring, bright, unpredictable wine” (as the French themselves characterize it), and even drunk among red autumn vines, accompanied by crispy baguette and Burgundy cheeses.

You can't stand aside and foreign guests, who, having once tasted this light drink, will always remember it with nostalgia. Soon the young Beaujolais wine was celebrated in Australia, then in Japan and Thailand. In the States, it gained popularity in 2000.year, when the English-language motto was invented for the holiday: “It’s Beaujolais Nouveau Time!” ("It's time for Beaujolais Nouveau!").

Production technology

Another reason why Beaujolais wine is not highly praised by sommeliers is the way it is made. While noble drinks go through a long process of natural maceration (that is, insisting on the pulp), game is treated differently. Grapes are simply poured into small (up to 60 hectoliters) closed vats. They launch carbon dioxide, which simply explodes the skin of the berries. Carbon maceration is a dishonest technique from the point of view of winemakers. The minimum amount of tannins that is in the game acquires a completely different structure. It's like putting carbon dioxide into a bottle of regular wine and passing it off as champagne. So it is with Beaujolais: thanks to such an “explosion”, the wine releases juice under the weight of its own bunches for only five to six days. After that, the pulp is pressed and removed, and the must is sent for fermentation, which lasts only a month.

Characteristics of Beaujolais wine

The drink has a sharp brutal taste with a distinct sourness. The smell of the wine is slightly fruity. Connoisseurs see notes of blackcurrant, raspberry and cherry in its aroma. The color of the wine with a slight sheen. It should not be too rich.

Tasters unanimously repeat about the deceptive lightness of Beaujolais: the wine hits the head no worse than ten-year-old cognac. Considering that on a holidaythey drink it in meters, this is a serious burden on the liver. How are liters converted to a measure of length? Very simple: a special meter tray is filled with Pot Lyonnais, Pot de ville or small bottles of 46 cl.

To drink or not to drink, that is the question

If you are not a snob and love young enthusiasm, then this wine is just made for you. It is bright, with a characteristic taste that cannot be confused with anything else. Perhaps it is not quite suitable for a dinner party. But in the company of friends (especially if half of them are young and pretty girls who do not like vodka), Beaujolais will be just right. Another thing is that the manufacturer must be named. Every year in Burgundy, about fifty million liters of Beaujolais are made from game. More than half is immediately exported outside of France. In order to pay for the expensive flight of goods to Russia, distributors purchase the cheapest brands. But with "game" is also not so simple. In the term of fermentation, the account goes literally for hours. If you stop the process earlier, the drink will come out slightly colored, inexpressive, and if you hesitate - dull, musty. Therefore, you should buy Beaujolais Nouveau wine from trusted manufacturers. The most famous are Yvon Metras, Jean-Paul Thevenet, Albert Bichot, Georges Duboeuf and Louis Jadot.

How to drink and what to serve with

The taste of young Beaujolais is best revealed at temperatures up to thirteen degrees Celsius. As an accompaniment, a French baguette cut into large pieces is required. If you decide to limit yourself to coldappetizers, serve Beaujolais with cold cuts, cheeses (Cabrion, Sechon, Camembert, Saint-Marcellin). Young wine is not suitable for hot dishes of beef, veal and poultry. But fatty pork and sour Beaujolais are the perfect tandem. Again, as the French winemakers say, what is the year, so is the wine. That is why Beaujolais is called unpredictable. "Gamay" is very dependent on weather conditions. This variety brings a rich harvest every time, but the drink can be too sweet or watery. A hot last summer made the young Beaujolais of 2014 softer, without the shocking acid. It carries the signature aroma of garden berries. Some tasters saw notes of ripe banana in the bouquet of the current Beaujolais.