Beaujolais

Beaujolais is a wine-producing region in France, that for administrative purposes is part of Burgundy but that makes wines in a style all its own. It is best known for Beaujolais Nouveau, the result of a rapid fermentation process known as carbonic maceration that is ready to be drunk a scant six weeks after the harvest. On the third Thursday of November each year the new Beaujolais is officially released and just after midnight a race begins to ship the wine out all around the world as quickly as possible. For a vintner the economic advatages of selling one's wine before the end of the year are substantial, although the wine itself varies dramatically in quality. While some "serious" wine lovers dislike the hoopla associated with the release of each year's nouveau, most people still regard it as a fine excuse for a party.

Almost all Beaujolais is made with the red Gamay grape, although there is some white made with Chardonnay. Beaujolais tends to be a very light bodied wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity, and strikes some as thin and sour, although this is likely to be avoided if it is served with food. The villages of Beaujolais can yield wine that is more full-bodied, darker in color, and significantly longer lived than the basic Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages. Unfortunately for the unknowing wine drinker, these wines are rarely helpful enough to put the word "Beaujolais" on the label, leaving one with little recourse but to memorize the list. Some you might see are: Morgon, Moulin-a-vent, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Saint Amour, Chiroubles, Chénas, Fleurie, Juliénas, and most recently, Régnié.

By far the largest production comes from the négociant Georges Duboeuf, who makes the well-known "flower labels".