In the wine-growing regions of many countries, for example, in Transcarpathia, you can often see an inscription at the end of November inviting you to visit the cellar: "Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!" It translates as follows: "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 undergone a long fermentation have a reason and the right to be called "Beaujolais"?

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

What is "Beaujolais"

In Burgundy, the famous wine-growing province of France, there is the Beaujolais region. It is not the most successful in terms of growing vines. If we compare its climatic and soil characteristics with the Côte d'Or, where the exquisite Chardonnay and Pinot Gris varieties grow, we can say that local farmers would be better off growing apples.

In the Beaujolais region, only the unpretentious "game" can be cultivated. But this variety of black grapes is very fruitful, and ripens early. Harvesting of berries begins at the end of August, while October is generally considered the time of wine harvest. But this is not the most important thing. Distinctive feature "Game" is that the wine made from it cannot be stored for a long time. Six months maximum is the deadline for the bottle to 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. We will seize the day and rejoice at what it brings us.

Successful marketing ploy?

In many regions, and not only where Beaujolais is produced, the holiday marks the beginning of a new agricultural cycle. What was the past year for the harvest? This will indicate uncorked that has not yet completed a full fermentation course. And even though the drink is cloudy, its aroma is inexpressive, and the taste is too brutal. Experts can already tell what he will become when "matures". Such joyful tastings invariably take place where the vines are grown - in Alsace, the Rhinelands, Italy, Moldova ... But only in the region of young wine does it mean more than just sampling. If you do not sell the entire batch, you can simply pour it out. So manufacturers are trying to create hype around their product. And they succeed. Because "game" of all varieties gives the most not bad young wine.

Characteristics of the variety

As already mentioned, these vines are unpretentious and give a bountiful harvest early. But the “game” variety was able to divide people into two camps. "A daring and bright wine with a sparkle!" - Some say about "Beaujolais". "Sour compote!" - others give their verdict.

Back in the sixteenth century, the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy ordered to eradicate "game" in their lands. But since the vines of this variety rescued winemakers in lean years, the subjects were in no hurry to fulfill the order of their sovereign. But the troubadour of the thirteenth century, Jean Baudel of Arras, spoke about “Beaujolais” as follows: “Wine jumps like a squirrel on 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 (apparently, not a fool to drink) does not sing the aroma of Beaujolais, its discriminating taste etc. He simply praises its effect on the body. In "game" there are almost no tart tannins, which are found in fine wines. It has enough acidity to make the sommelier wrinkle his nose contemptuously. Its scent is artlessly fruity. But he still brings a holiday to the soul.

How disadvantages turn into advantages

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 wine from "game" 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 taste the young wine "Beaujolais Nouveau". The producers skillfully took advantage of 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 go on sale only after November 15th. And in 1985 a different date was legally established: the third Thursday of the last month of autumn. Thus, the young wine "Beaujolais" 2014 appeared on the shelves only from the twentieth of November.

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

How the Beaujolais Wine Festival is celebrated

The French are looking forward to the third Thursday of November like children New Year or lovers Valentine's Day. Exactly at midnight in the capital of the region - the town of Bozho - on the main square, the first barrel is uncorked 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 audience just celebrates. After all, nothing raises the spirits like "daring, bright, unpredictable wine" (as the French themselves describe it), and even drunk among the red autumn vines accompanied by crispy baguette and Burgundy cheeses.

Foreign guests, who, once having tasted this light drink, will always remember it with nostalgia, cannot be left aside. Soon the young wine "Beaujolais" began to be celebrated in Australia, then in Japan and Thailand. In the States, it gained popularity in 2000, when an English-language motto was invented for the holiday: "It's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!" (“It's time for Beaujolais Nouveau!).

Manufacturing technology

Another reason why Beaujolais wine does not receive high praise from the sommelier is the way it is produced. While noble drinks go through a long process of natural maceration (that is, infusion on the pulp), with "game" they do differently. The grapes are simply poured into small (up to 60 hectoliters) closed vats. Carbon dioxide is launched into them, which simply explodes the skin of the berries. Carbon maceration is dishonest from a winemaker's point of view. The minimal amount of tannins that is in "game" acquires a completely different structure. It's like putting carbon dioxide in a bottle with ordinary wine and pass it off as champagne. So it is with "Beaujolais": thanks to this "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 wort is sent to fermentation, which lasts only a month.

Characteristics of the wine "Beaujolais"

The drink has a sharp brutal taste with a distinct sourness. The wine has a mild fruity smell. Connoisseurs discern notes of black currant, raspberry and cherry in its aroma. The color of the wine has a slight sheen. It shouldn't be too intense.

Tasters unanimously repeat about the deceptive lightness of Beaujolais: the wine hits the head no worse than ten-year-old brandy. Considering that on a holiday it is drunk by meters, this is a serious burden on the liver. How are liters translated into a measure of length? Very simple: a special 1-meter tray is filled with bottles of Pot Lyonnais, Pot de ville or small bottles of 46 cl.

Drink or not drink - that is the question

If you are not a snob and love youthful enthusiasm, then this wine is simply created for you. It is bright, with a characteristic taste that cannot be confused with anything else. It may not be quite suitable for dinner party... But in a company with 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 are immediately exported outside France. In order to recoup an expensive flight of goods to Russia, distributors buy the cheapest brands. But with “game”, it’s not so simple either. In the period of fermentation, the account goes literally for hours. If you stop the process earlier, the drink will come out weakly colored, low-expressive, and if you hesitate, it will be dull, musty. Therefore, you should buy Beaujolais Nouveau wine from trusted producers. 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 cold appetizers, serve "Beaujolais" with cold cuts, cheeses (cabrio, séchon, camembert, saint-marselen). Young wine is not suitable for hot dishes of beef, veal and poultry. But fatty pork and sour "Beaujolais" are the ideal tendencies. Again, as French winemakers say, what the year is, so is the wine. Therefore, "Beaujolais" is called unpredictable. Game is very dependent on weather conditions. This variety produces a rich harvest every time, but the drink can be too sweet or too watery. The hot last summer made the 2014 Beaujolais young wine softer, without shocking acid. It carries a signature scent garden berries... Some tasters have noticed in the bouquet of the current "Beaujolais" notes of ripe banana.

As the French say: "Le Beaujolais est arrivé!", Which means "Beaujolais has arrived!"

It is with such a simple phrase that they welcome the new season of a simple, but at the same time, insanely popular young wine all over the world. In honor of which they arrange a real holiday and celebrate it every year on the third Thursday in November.

What is Beaujolais Nouveau

Beaujolais Nouveau is a young wine made from Gamay grapes. The drink goes on sale exactly six weeks after harvest. These terms are regulated at the French legislative level.

Beaujolais has a transparent red color and is very light, lively and somewhat pungent taste, which is set off by soft notes of cherry, raspberry and black currant. Wine is not meant for long storage and it is usually consumed at most until March of the year following the harvest.

Sommeliers and true connoisseurs of this drink recommend serving it chilled to a temperature of 13 degrees. Meat or cheese cuts are perfect as an appetizer.

Today, about 45 million liters of wine are produced annually. Almost half are exported far outside France. Great admirers of this young grape drink are - Japanese, Germans and Americans.

And the largest manufacturers of Beaujolais Nouveau can rightfully be considered:

1. Albert bichot
2. Louis Jadot
3. Jean-paul thevenet
4. Georges Duboeuf
5. Domaine Yvon Metras

Where and when Bujolé Nouveau takes place

As mentioned earlier, Beaujolais Nouveau is produced in the east of France, in the province of the same name on the territory of historic Burgundy.

For the first time, Burgundy winemakers introduced their drink in the 19th century. And on September 8, 1951, France adopted a legislative act, according to which the wine of the current year in the country could be sold no earlier than December 15. But the winemakers of Beaujolais asked to make an exception for them, and since that time, young wine from Beaujolais appears on sale in November, the third Thursday of the month.

Young wine reached its greatest popularity in the 1980s, but today interest in it is gradually declining, but nevertheless its connoisseurs continue to wait for the new season to enjoy its taste and aroma again.

Interesting fact! Beaujolais Nouveau appeared on the American market in 2005 and marketers have developed a new advertising slogan - “It’s Beaujolais Nouveau Time!”, Which means “Beaujolais Nouveau Time!”.

Celebration and traditions of Beaujolais

The main idea of \u200b\u200bthe holiday is to drink a lot and have fun. In Burgundy, exactly at midnight in the main square of the city, everyone is loudly chanting "Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived!" and at 00.01 the sales of young wine begin.

And it is sold neither in glasses, nor in bottles, not in boxes and not even in barrels, but sold by Beaujolais by meters. Bottles are displayed in a row and if someone masters them, they will receive another bottle as a gift. Therefore, for most French people, the Friday following Beaujolais becomes a "non-working". This is a good reason not to come to work. And most often the celebration drags on until Sunday.

The whole beauty of this holiday lies in its simplicity and the absence of any preparations. Simple, fun, accessible - that's all the traditions of the Beaujolais holiday.

By the way, in Russia they began to celebrate this holiday in 1999, and in Ukraine only a year later, but not on such a scale as the French do. Today, more than 200 countries of the world are ruled by Beaujolais.

Beaujolais Nouveau is the greatest marketing success for French winemakers of the 20th century. He could only be glad (after all, no one forces us to drink this wine, and counting other people's income is bad form), but one fact interferes: hectoliters nouveau hide other Beaujolais wines from the whole world. They are not suitable for mulled wine, but they can really please the thoughtful connoisseur.
Crus Beaujolais is still a big secret of French wine lovers. Outside the country, almost no one understands what it is, and the Cru Beaujolais price tags are for knowledgeable people - just a gift of fate: in Europe there are almost no other wines of this quality and at the same time so inexpensive.

10 facts about Beaujolais
The Beaujolais region formally belongs to Burgundy, but has completely different soils and its own grape variety - game. The name "Beaujolais" comes from the town of Bozho, founded in the 10th century. And the first vineyards in the region appeared in the 9th century. Beaujolais stretches for about 60 km along the Saone, from Macon in the north to Lyon in the south. The largest city in the region - Lyon, as the French proverb says, stands on three rivers: Rhone, Saone and Beaujolais.
Beaujolais is the only vineyard of this size in the world (20,000 hectares) planted with game. It became a "reserve" of game after the Burgundian duke Philip the Brave banned the cultivation of this variety anywhere else in 1395.
According to local legend, the crusaders went to the Promised Land not at all for the Holy Grail, but for new varieties of grapes, among which was game. Unfortunately, the legend has not been confirmed by historical evidence.
In Beaujolais, the vast majority of vineyards are very small plots (from 1 to 12 hectares) owned by independent winegrowers, who, as a rule, sell their crops to merchants, and not local, but Burgundy.
On the territory of the Beaujolais region itself, less than half of Beaujolais wines are bottled, and only about 15% of the total volume are wines from small farms that use only the harvest from their own vineyards.
The Beaujolais classification distinguishes four quality levels (corresponding to four appellations): the lowest is Beaujolais Nouveau, then the “basic” Beaujolais AOC, then Beaujolais Villages and, finally, the best Beaujolais is Beaujolais Cru.
The Beaujolais Cru category includes wines from ten communes (villages) in the north of the region. Their vineyards occupy just over a quarter of the total area of \u200b\u200bBeaujolais vineyards. The word Beaujolais is not written on the labels of these wines - only the name of Cru itself.
Each of the Beaujolais cru wines have their own stylistic characteristics, due to some differences in soil. And even the dishes recommended for Beaujolais from different crus will be different.
Unlike most red wines, Beaujolais crus should rather be chilled before serving. The recommended temperature for most crus is 14 °, but some should be cooled down to 11-13 °. The crus aging potential is 3-5 years.

No-cru
To understand what a cru is in Beaujolais, you first need to understand the general classification of this region.
Beaujolais Nouveau (the one that arrives on the third Thursday of November) is the lowest rung of the hierarchy. The whole story with Beaujolais Nouveau is the fruit of the post-war economic boom in the 1950s. Before World War II, no one had heard of any "young Beaujolais" holidays, but a few years after its end, several enterprising merchants decided to shake up the revived European market. To do this, they hired not only press agents, but also pretty models, movie stars and other beautiful and famous people, who gladly took part in the merry holiday. And the general madness began.
Although even then Alexis Lishin (the great Bordeaux winemaker of Russian origin) wrote in his book about French wines that “this wine does not even deserve a mention. Until the 1950s, it never even saw the inside of the bottle, and then some strange snobbery, on the contrary, pulled it out of Lyon's cheap eateries to world fame. " A little later, the famous American wine merchant Gerald Weimax, famous for his malice, added to this the popular expression "Asking what Beaujolais Nouveau is this year is like asking what Pepsi is this week."
Nevertheless, Beaujolais Nouveau became perhaps the most popular French wine in the world and by the 1970s it was sold everywhere, from Alaska to Australia. The problem is that it is with his "compote" style that buyers around the world have come to associate any wine from Beaujolais. For the sake of fairness, it must be said that the Beaujolais AOC, which follows him in the quality hierarchy, often answers this prejudice. This appellation covers almost 10,000 hectares and supplies a huge amount of uncomplicated, lively and, occasionally, very pleasant wines. Plain Beaujolais is best drunk within a year after harvest, and when served, it is best to chill strongly - to 11 °.
The next step is Beaujolais Villages, 5850 hectares and 39 villages, which have the right to write their name on the labels (but rarely do this, since these villages are not even known in nearby Lyon, not to mention other parts of France and the world). In contrast to the clay-limestone Beaujolais, the Beaujolais-Villages appellation is located on clay soils interspersed with crystalline rocks. It is a source of attractive wines with pure berry aromas and mild taste... They should be chilled as well as regular Beaujolais and drunk just as quickly.
And only after Beaujolais Villages, at the top of the Beaujolais quality ladder, do we enter the world of cru.
In terms of value for money, Cru Beaujolais has few competitors in France. Nouveau, even at its best, remains an artisan caramel, and interesting Beaujolais and Beaujoalis-Villages are always the result of a very long search. At the same time, Cru Beaujolais is a rather serious wine, and good examples are much more common in this appellation.
At the same time, both Nouveau and Cru are made from the same grape - game (if whole - black game with white juice). The key difference is in terroirs and vinification processes.

Nine plus one
So what is a cru in Beaujolais? These are ten dedicated terroirs in the north of the region, where the peculiarities of the soil and microclimate make it possible to make wines that can stand on a par with the excellent communal Burgundy appellations. Previously, there were nine crus, and the tenth - Rainier appeared only in 1988, after years of research, confirming its potential. The difficulty in understanding the cru system is that they are very different. Getting to know them is like climbing from the simplest and most short-lived to increasingly complex wines with great potential. If we list the crus in order of increasing difficulty, the list will look like this:

Chiroubles
St. Amour
Rainier (Régnié)
Chénas
Côte de Brouilly
Brouilly
Fleurie
Julien (Juliénas)
Morgon
Moulin-a-Vent.

In total, they occupy about 6400 hectares. The main soil type for all is granite, but each cru has its own characteristics, which explain the character of each wine. By the way, according to the law, the word "Beaujolais", which is so familiar to all consumers, is absent on the label of this class of wines. According to the rules of appellations, they are marked only with the name of the cru, so it is worth remembering them.

Beaujolais

Moulin-a-Vent
650 ha
Soils: Granite soils are rich in manganese, which is the reason for the unusual character of the local wines.
Style: The most famous and really the best cru Beaujolais. Its name comes from a strange windmill, which has long become a symbol of both Beaujolais in general and this cru in particular. This most full-bodied Beaujolais at a young age sometimes has a slight bitterness, which disappears with aging.
Serving temperature: 14 ° C

Morgon / Morgon
1100 ha
Soils: Vineyards are planted on loose shale and granite gravel, which locals called "rotten stone".
Style: Despite such a strange name for the soil, the grapes grow beautiful on them and give quite serious wines with good depth. Typical Morgon is a full-bodied wine with notes of apricots and plums and excellent aging properties.
Serving temperature: 13 ° C

Julien / Juliénas
580 ha
Soils: Shale and clay are added to the granite habitual throughout the region. Style: Crewe gets its name from Julius Caesar. Not the most durable cru, although the wine of successful harvests can live and develop much longer than the 2-3 years stipulated by the appellation standard. Adding clay to the soil "condenses" the berry aromas of cherries and strawberries.
Serving temperature: 13 ° C

Fleurie
800 ha
Soil: Granite sand.
Style: Considered Moulin-a-Van's main rival for the title "Better Cru Beaujolais", although they are very different in style.
A typical Fleury should be velvety, soft and scented like flower bouquet: pink petals, violets and irises. In the best examples, floral aromas are complemented by berry (red and black currant). It is often called the most “feminine” cru.
Serving temperature: 13 ° C

Brouilly
1200 ha
Soils: Southernmost cru. In Bruyi, the soils contain more sand with granite inclusions. The largest of all the cruis is located at the foot of the hill of the same name.
Style: It is believed that it is with Bruyi that it is best to begin acquaintance with Beaujolais Cru class.
Bruyi's wines are quite understandable, but at the same time they clearly demonstrate the differences between cru and ordinary Beaujolais - a richer ruby \u200b\u200bcolor and more refined aromas of plums and red berries.
Serving temperature: About 12 ° C

Côte de Brouilly
290 ha
Soil: Crewe lies on the slopes of Bruyi Hill. Soils are a special type of volcanic rock, Andean granite, which contains a lot of copper. Shale inclusions are common.
Style: Almost purple wine that often smells fresh grapes... To fully develop, it needs about a year's exposure.
Serving temperature: About 13 ° C

Chena / Chénas
260 ha
Soil: Crewe lies next to the Moulin-a-Wan. The soil is granite sand.
Character traits: Due to the similarity of terroirs to Moulin-à-Van, wines at a young age show a characteristic bitterness, but Chénas has less aging ability than Moulin-à-Vent.
Style: Usually shows a ruby \u200b\u200bcolor with garnet hues and a bouquet with floral and woody tones.
Serving temperature: 14 ° C

Rainier / Régnié
650 ha
Soil: Mix of granite and sand.
Style: The style of the local wines is somewhere between two neighboring crus - slightly lighter Moulin-a-Vent and Morgon, but more intense than Brouilly. The graceful structure, as well as the aromas of red currant and raspberry, distinguish Renié in good years.
Serving temperature: 12 ° C

St. Amour
280 ha
Soils: The northernmost cru is already in the Saone-et-Loire department. The only cru where the soil is not granite, but a mixture of clay and sand.
Style: Is in the greatest demand before Valentine's Day - the name, translated as "holy love", tempts all lovers to give this wine to the object of their feelings. Usually, in such cases, one does not think about the quality of the drink itself, although Saint Amour is a very pleasant wine with characteristic violet and spicy flavors and occasional notes of apricot.
Serving temperature: 13 ° C

Chiroubles
340 ha
Soils: The highest cru, located 400 m above sea level. The soils are a mixture of granite and volcanic rocks, which determines the lightness of the wines.
Style: The thinnest and most delicate, but at the same time the most short-lived wines of all crus. Light floral aromas of peony, violets and lilies are typical for this wine.
Serving temperature: 12 °

Many English critics write that a glass of good Beaujolais Cru will appeal to even representatives of the generation that has been grown in the last ten years on "overclocked and tuned" red blockbusters.

Who is smaller?
To convey to the consumer all the features of the different terroirs of the ten crus, the winemaker has to put in quite a lot of effort. Today one of the topics for discussion in Beaujolais, including the cru, is the yield level. This problem is always especially acute in the "non-cyanist" regions. The official yield in Beaujolais is 58 hl / ha for crus, 60 hl / ha for Beaujolais Villages and 66 hl / ha for regular Beaujolais. At the same time, all serious cru producers are sure that harvesting more than 45 hl / ha means ruining the wine (in Moulin-a-Van, the best estates with their own vineyards try not to exceed 40 hl / ha).

Negatives interested in the quality of the final product also stand for lower yields, but for them the only way to achieve this is to pay the difference to the growers, and many homes have already adopted this practice. However, for most growers who own plots of about 6 hectares ( the average size for Beaujolais), lower yields (which means “green harvest”, pruning, etc.) is associated with additional costs, which are not yet fully covered by the merchant “premiums”. Any farmer in Beaujolais will tell you that the minimum level is 50 hl / ha, otherwise he will go broke. Therefore, lower yields can be afforded either by large houses in their own vineyards, or by small producers who have already achieved a serious international reputation, thanks to which they can keep prices for their wines slightly above average. In addition, only small wineries with their own vineyards can consistently solve the main problem of modern Beaujolais - the excessive use of chemicals. In most regions of France, lutte raisonée, that is, "intelligent control" against diseases and pests, has already become almost commonplace, but in Beaujolais people still think in quantitative rather than qualitative terms, and use a variety of chemicals in vineyards.
It is wrong to think that only Nouveau is made by carbon maceration, as this method is used for other wines, including crus. However, wines higher than Nouveau undergo carbon maceration at a different temperature. Nouveau is macerated at 20 °, when the extraction of tannins from the skins is not very active, so the wine is light-bodied, soft and with a bright bouquet of fruity aromas. More serious wines, such as Domaine Berrod's Beaujolais-Villages, go through this process at about 30 °, which allows for a much more complete extraction of both tannins and aromas. True, in any case, this technology makes game wines extremely short-lived: Nouveau is legally forbidden to sell from March 1 of the year following the harvest, and Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, obtained using carbon maceration, can be sold longer, but still do not live more than one and a half -two years.

Yeast and sugar
The use of herbicides and pesticides, in addition to being not very good in itself, also entails great difficulties with vinification. The fact is that most of the spraying (against mildew, mildew, etc.) kills some of the natural yeast found on the skin of the berries. As a result, in the process of fermentation, winemakers are simply forced to add artificial yeast to the wort, which destroys the "terroir" of the wine. In addition, artificial yeast is simply more technologically advanced, since it “covers up” many of the grower's shortcomings. Those who use them say that this is necessary in order to be sure to complete the fermentation to the end. Mainly in Beaujolais they use 71B artificial yeast. They are produced in Holland from tomatoes and they are the ones that give that riot of banana aromas that are so familiar to Beaujolais and so, in general, are not typical for red wines.
A few "dissidents" (such as Jean-Paul Brun of the Domaine des Terres Dorées) are confident - and have proven through years of experience - that conscientious vineyard work, avoiding chemicals and careful timing of harvesting make it easy to ferment naturally. ...
In addition to artificial yeast, in Beaujolais there are now two more main issues of vinification: sulfur and chaptalization. Shaptalization was inevitable for many years, since game, as early variety never had a high sugar content. Recently, thoughtful winemakers have been trying to move away from this practice, especially since nature itself helps them: the warming, dubious for some experts, is quite obvious in Beaujolais, and in recent years grapes are gaining more and more sugar on their own. But the use of sulfur is still being discussed. Small wineries and some individual merchants are gradually abandoning the use of artificial yeast and "excess" sulfur (adding the very minimum and only at the end of malolactic fermentation). And it is for these wines that French sommeliers and foreign connoisseurs who know local realities are hunting.

Cru +
The different character of the cru is also expressed in the fact that there is, perhaps, no such dish that would be the perfect companion for all ten. For each type of cru you need to choose something different. The usual guidelines are:
- Saint-Amour, Chiroubles and Brouilly - an aperitif, to cold cuts, chicken, saint marcelin cheese. Americans, who have nothing sacred, advise Chiroubles over chicken nuggets;
- Côte de Brouilly - young good for an aperitif, more mature - for fried and baked meat;
- Fleurie - to light snacks, fried chicken and roast lamb from spicy herbsespecially with rosemary, thyme, mint and bay leaves;
- Juliénas and Saint-Amour - to the chicken, white meat and country-style terrine;
- Morgon - an aperitif, just as good with red meat, with chicken in complex sauces and aged Saint-Marseille cheese;
- Moulin-a-Vent - to game and meat in rich sauces, for example, to cassoulet. Young samples go well with barbecue and goat cheeses.

The inscription on the Beaujolais Supérieur label does not mean anything (it is not regulated by the appellation decree) and will most likely indicate only slightly elevated level alcohol in wine.

Product description

Beaujolais nouveau - young wine from french(or rather burgundy) wine region of Beaujolais... Moreover, the term "beaujolais" also refers to "serious" wines with a complex taste (out of ten appellations - the so-called Cru de beaujolais), and to the simple but fantastically popular young wine beaujolais nouveau.

Burgundy subregion Beaujolais - a real kingdom of grapes: the vineyards here cover the entire surface of the hills with greenery, protected from the damp and cold westerly winds by the Beaujolais mountains. The main grape variety in Beaujolais is black game with white juice (game noir a jus blanc, gamay noir à jus blanc), from which all the red wines of Beaujolais are made here.

There are 12 appellations in Beaujolais - Beaujolais (AOC Beaujolais), Beaujolais Village (AOC Beaujolais-Villages) and ten communal ones (they do not produce young wine, but wines with good aging potential). Accordingly, any wine Beaujolais nouveau refers to either AOC Beaujolaisor to AOC Beaujolais-Villages.

Vineyards of the appellation Beaujolais (AOC Beaujolais)located in the south, on clay-calcareous soils. Most of them produce here Beaujolais nouveau - red wines with a fresh fruity aroma, which are drunk young, without aging.

Vineyards of the appellation Beaujolais Village (AOC Beaujolais-Villages)stretched a little further north, on granite soils. The wines here are more tart and less light than in the Beaujolais appellation. Many of them are kept in a bottle for one or two years. Produced here and not intended for aging Beaujolais nouveau.

Beaujolais nouveauproduced by the method " carbonic (carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon) maceration". The collected bunches of grapes are not pressed, but whole - together with the ridges - are placed in small vats for five days. Maceration occurs - fermentation inside intact berries as a result of contact of the juice with the skin. After five days, the fermented grapes are pressed, after which fermentation continues. After about a month, young wine Beaujolais nouveau — Beaujolais Nouveau - it's done. It turns out to be rich in color, fresh, lively and bright, not too tart, with a bright fruity aroma and "explosive" taste.

I wonder what grapes Game - fast ripening, so in Beaujolais grapes are harvested earlier than in other wine-growing regions of France. That is why, since the 19th century, Beaujolais winemakers have launched a noisy advertising campaign for the sale of the "first" (by the time of sale, of course) wine in France, which immediately brought them considerable benefits.

However, on March 11, 1951, at the state level, a decision was made on the timing of the sale of wines of the new harvest. From now on, young wine could be sold throughout France no earlier than November 15th. Winemakers of Beaujolais were outraged and demanded that they be given the right to put their wines on the market regardless of the set date, as an argument indicating that their wines are ready for use earlier. This opportunity was given to them. In the early years, the day the young Beaujolais appeared on store shelves and bar counters was different. For example, in 1952 it happened on November 3, in 1953 - on November 1.

In 1967, the exact date for the start of sales of Beaujolais Nouveau (at midnight on November 15) was legislatively set again. And it was observed until 1985, with one exception: in 1977, when the grapes were harvested very late due to climatic conditions, the Beaujolais Nouveau holiday fell on November 25. In 1985, for the convenience of winemakers, the date of sale of Beaujolais Nouveau was decided to be postponed to third Thursday of November.

Types and varieties

On wine labels beaujolais nouveau in mandatory put harvest year (he is the year of the wine). Of course, only fresh Beaujolais Nouveau is suitable for use.

In addition, the labels indicate appellation: any wine beaujolais nouveau refers to either AOC Beaujolaisor to AOC Beaujolais-Villages.It is believed that the fault of the appellation Beaujolais (AOC Beaujolais)- with a fresh fruity aroma, and the appellation Beaujolais Village (AOC Beaujolais-Villages)- slightly more astringent and less light.

How to cook

Beaujolais nouveau should be served chilled to 12-14ºC.

A wide variety of dishes are suitable for it, but the French most of all prefer meat, light snacks and cheeses - better locally produced, such as goat cabrio or mild seshon... Good for Beaujolais Nouveau and Camembert.

In France, Nouveau is combined with Beaujolais kayet (caillette) - something like jellied pork, liver, heart, with the addition of beet tops, celery and garlic (in fair amounts). Only Beaujolais can withstand this vigorous mixture! At the same time, it will not lose its own taste and will subtly emphasize the taste of your snack.

Combine wonderfully with Beaujolais nouveau terina from goose or duck liver and volovan. Beaujolais nouveau with this dish is beyond competition. The texture, aroma and gustatory palette of wine and terina are ideally combined with each other.

Beaujolais nouveau - November wine.

Feast of the young beaujolais - the day when this wine appears on the menu of restaurants and on store shelves, is celebrated all over the world in third Thursday of November... And at home famous drink, in the town of Bozho, the first bottle is opened exactly at midnight - after the twelfth beat of the bell of the Church of St. Nicholas. A week before the holiday, bright posters with the words “ Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!» (« Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived!»).

The appearance of this holiday is associated with a number of events and facts.

Game Is a fast-ripening grape variety, which is why grapes are harvested in Beaujolais earlier than in other wine-growing regions of France. The current start date for the sale of Beaujolais Nouveau is set in 1985. Beaujolais nouveau wine begins to sell at midnight on the third Thursday of November.

Insofar as Beaujolais nouveau can't stand it (it only gets worse with age), it's better to buy and drink it before christmas and certainly no later than Easter next year.

On the labels of Beaujolais Nouveau wines, the harvest year is mandatory (it is also the year of release of the wine). Of course, in November it is worth buying only this year's Beaujolais Nouveau. Last year's Beaujolais Nouveau is worth buying except in January-February.

How to choose and store

Beaujolais nouveau bought only in November or in the winter months following it. You can store Beaujolais Nouveau only until spring, this wine only deteriorates from burning.

If there is a need to preserve Beaujolais Nouveau for two or three months, then there are no special rules for storing it: you can put the bottle in the refrigerator, or you can keep it at room temperature - unless it is brought to the required 12-14ºC before use.

Interesting facts about French wines ...

In France, the festival of young wine Beaujolais Nouveau is a great pagan and folk holidayheld on the third Thursday in November, the end of the grape harvest season for winemakers.

As noted by Beaujolais Nouveau

This evening, when the twelfth beat sounds at midnight, friends gather at someone's home or in a bistro to taste the first wine of the year, which is called “young wine”. Traditionally, along with the tasting, they offer a treat from sausages and Lyon cuisine.

Lyon - the capital of the holiday

This holiday, which comes from a very ancient wine-making tradition, is held under the sign of communication and have a good mood... Lyon, thirty kilometers south of the city, has historically been home to young Beaujolais Nouveau wines, which have been served since the interwar period in all drinking establishments “bouchon” (the traditional name for wine bars in this region) cities in such numbers that for some time Beaujolais was called the “third river” of the city. Today, the festival of young wine Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated in all cities of France.

Beaujolais history

The consumption of young wines is more than a traditional custom: it goes back to the very beginning of wine consumption.

In antiquity, "serva potio", "lora" or "drink of slaves" was offered to grape pickers immediately after pressing grape juice... In the Middle Ages, wine was brought to the market very early, about two weeks after the end of the grape harvest by virtue of a system that had two advantages at that time: the landowner, bishop or abbot of the monastery, the owners of the vineyards, received best price for these wines. They had the privilege of being the first to sell the drink everyone was waiting for. The early sale of wine also helped to solve the problems associated with its storage. Wine stored in poor quality barrels oxidized under the influence of air, quickly turned into vinegar and became unusable.

Beginning in the 13th century, the urban bourgeoisie also began to fill its wine cellars wine from their own estates, which was allowed to be brought into the city duty-free and consumed at home as well. The bourgeoisie competed with the owners of taverns and inns and, like them, faced towards the end winter period with an extreme shortage of this product. Until the 19th century and the flourishing of vineyard culture in France, the wine market was in short supply. Supply has never met demand. Historically, the first sellers of young wine were the king, lords and the church. The trade in this wine was of paramount importance: it was controlled by an army of middlemen. tasters and juries.When there was not enough wine, a voice of anger rang out. In 1788, the workers of the silk manufactory revolted in Lyon. In Paris, the capture of the Bastille was preceded by “riots from thirst”.

Exactly at midnight, on the third Thursday of November

Beaujolais is a new collection and is eagerly awaited every year. Moreover, in France, as in all wine-making countries, the period after the grape harvest is a time of fun and holidays, marking the end of hard work and the end of the wine-making year. Among the celebrations after the end of the grape harvest and the first tastings, the Feast of St. Martin, November 11, has been and remains an important event. It meant for people who worked with grapes, the day of payment for housing, the end of the terms of employment for workers, apprentices and servants, the moment of final settlement between the owners of the vineyards and pickers. On this day, winemakers also offer the first samples of their harvest and traditionally treat them to young wine: this tasting is called “la martinee”, and the bottling of young wine is “le martinage”. It is accompanied by a gala dinner, which serves the goose of St. Martin.