Beaujolais – More Than A November Celebration

When the third Thursday of November rolls around every year, the light, fruity red wine known as Beaujolais Nouveau appears all over the world to celebrate the French harvest.  Meant to be drunk the first few months after its release and made from grapes that were literally hanging on the vine 8 weeks earlier, the wine has become popular largely through great marketing techniques. With aromatics of strawberry and bubble gum and flavors of strawberry, banana and pear, it is hardly a serious wine and has in fact, had a negative effect on the reputation of serious winemakers from the appellation of Beaujolais.

Beaujolais is found in the region stretching from southern Burgundy to the northern Rhone. It is considered part of Burgundy, but the terroire is closer to that of the Rhone. Beaujolais is made from the Gamay grape, an offspring of the cross between Pinot noir and an ancient varietal known as Gouais. Thin skinned like its parent, Gamay ripens a full two weeks earlier, is much easier to grow, and is much more prolific. It was once widely planted in Burgundy, but much was ripped up and replaced by the more elegant Pinot Noir and pushed southward to where it thrives today.

Beaujolais is a large region with 44,000 acres of vines spread over 96 villages. In the northern part, the soil is granite and limestone and the wines tend to be more complex and structured. In the southern part the soil is clay and sandstone and the wines are lighter and fruitier. The vast majority of Beaujolais Nouveau comes from the south. There are several levels of quality.

The lowest is the already mentioned Nouveau and fully one third of the total production of the region goes to this wine every year. The next level is simply called Beaujolais. The grapes are sourced from any of the 96 villages. The vines must not produce more than 60 hectolitres of grapes per hectare, preventing overproduction and less concentration of flavor.

Beaujolais Villages is sourced from 39 of the villages, and the yields are further restricted,  resulting in wines that are more concentrated in flavor and a little more complex and structured. These wines still should be drunk within 2 years.

Cru Beaujolais is the highest quality designation and the wines must come from 7 villages or three small areas. The restriction on yields is even stricter and this combined with the local terroire ( all these villages are in the northern region with the granite and limestone soils) results in the most complex and structured of the Beaujolais, often approaching Burgundy Pinot Noir in finesse.  None of these Cru villages are allowed to produce grapes to be used in Beaujolais Nouveau. The different villages produce wines of varying structure and complexity and this can be predicted by the north /south location of the villages.

Brouilly, Regnie and Chiroubles are the farthest south and produce the lightest wines that should be drunk within 2 years. Fleurie, St Amour and Cotes du Brouilly produce more complex wines to be drunk within 4 years. Finally, Moulin A Vent, Morgon and Julienas are the farthest north and produce the most complex and structured of all. These wines improve with age and are meant to be drunk 4 to 10 years after release.

Serious Beaujolais has aromas of spice and red cherries with flavors of red fruit and spice with a bracing acidity and a bit of earth making them great food wines. They  are especially good with Thanksgiving Turkey. They are often better slightly chilled, especially the lighter ones.

One of the very best Beaujolais is made by Dupeuble for $18.99. Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s great producers makes a very respectable Beaujolais villages for $13.49.  The Cru Villages are the ones that illustrate just how good these wines can be. Clos du Roilette Fleurie ($16.99) is my go to Thanksgiving wine and the Thivin Cote de Brouilly is crazy good at $28.99. The Grange Julienas Cuvee Speciale  is well named for it is truly special at $25.99 with great depth and surprising structure.

The 2013 Beaujolais is here, and if you want to celebrate the harvest and the holidays go with the Rochette Nouveau 

Villages at $9.99, although the Georges DuBoeuf with its celebratory flower label is a bargain at $6.99.

Beaujolais is more than the simple wine quaffed over the holidays at cocktail parties. It can be a serious, very good wine to be enjoyed on its own or with food and deserves the attention of every wine lover.

Cheers!

Time for Turkey Friendly Wine

Thanksgiving is once again almost upon us. Our store will be filled with people looking for that perfect wine to go with their special holiday meal. Turkey, of course is at the forefront of most Thanksgiving dinners, so what do you choose to go with the beautifully browned bird?

For those white wine lovers, the wine must be able to stand up not only to the turkey, but to the myriad flavors that assault our taste buds at the holiday table. It is easy for the cranberry sauce, yams, dressing, three bean casserole, and gravy to overwhelm a wine. My first pick for the job is Gewurztraminer from Alsace. These spicy, aromatic wines are wonderful in this setting. Ziegler’s is very good at $13.99, but even better is Joseph Cattin Hatchbourg for $22.99 and if you want what I consider the very best, $26.99 will get you a bottle of Zind Humbrecht.

Riesling, with its touch of sweetness and its generous minerality, is another great choice for the occasion. Washington makes several that are great bargains. Chateau St. Michelle has been the gold standard, but Charles  Smith’s Kungfu Girl is rapidly overtaking it. They are in the $10 to $11 range. Germany is where Riesling rules and Dr Loosen’s Blue Slate from the Mosel ($20.99) and Donnehoff from Nahe ($24.99) are great examples of what heights the Germans can attain with this varietal. If you like your Rieslings drier, the Aussies make some good ones. Yalumba Y series is only about $11 and is wonderful.

The final white to consider is Chenin Blanc. Not any old Chenin Blnc, but vouvray from the Loire Valley in France. These wines have a beautiful acidity and minerality that work well with many foods and will offer much pleasure to your thanksgiving guests. Clos le Vigneau, at $19.99 is very good, Vigneau-Chevreau Cuvee Silex is  downright ridiculous at $21.99.

The red wine lover will have no problem finding a wonderful libation to make the meal truly memorable. The most common choice is Pinot Noir, its medium body, fragrant aromatics and cherry flavors mingling gracefully with the roasted fowl. I especially like those from Oregon. They have a little more minerality than California Pinots and are not quite so fruit forward. Halloran Estate Pinot Noir at $29.99 should be bought if you find it because it is outrageous. Foris, at $20, is a classic example of Oregon Pinot Noir. For a true bargain, try Llai Llai, from Chile. This is done in a Burgundian style and is remarkably good for $10.99.

Burgundy makes the best Pinot Noir in the world. Unfortunately to get a good one, $30 is about basement level. Bouvier’s En Montre Cul is a god one at this price point.  I had a glass of 2008 Domain Belleville Chambolle- Musigny that practically brought tears to my eyes from its magnificence. It’s not cheap at $55.99, but if you want to see what Pinot Noir is supposed to taste like, this one will give you the idea.

A great alternative to Pinot Noir is Beaujolais. I am NOT talking about Nouveau Beaujolais, that banana bubble gummy stuff released the third week of November every year.  What I mean is a good single village Beaujolais made from 100% Gamay, preferably from a grand cru. These are similar to burgundy, but are more vibrant. Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, at $16.99 is a very good one.

The other wine that I think is one of the best choices for this occasion is Cabernet Franc, particularly one from the Loire Valley in France. Most commonly known as one of the grapes used in Bordeaux, this grape can be awesome on its own. The nose has a characteristic herbaciousness that combines with nice berry fruit and round tannins. Medium in body and generous in acidity, this wine is a truly food friendly wine and together with turkey or other fowl it forms the proverbial “match made in heaven”. Bernard Baudry Chinon is a classic at $19.99. From the tiny nearby appellation of Samur is Domain Fillatreau Chateau Fouquet which is probably my favorite at only $16.99.

Now you have no excuses not to have the right wine to maximize your enjoyment of your holiday meal. Be safe and enjoy this special time. Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

Memorable Memorial Day Wines

Today’s high is going to 94 degrees here in Denver. With Memorial Day Weekend approaching, I’ve got barbeque on my mind. Although beer is a great beverage choice, don’t overlook the many excellent wines that go beautifully with the bounty of the day. Lighter wines are perfect for sitting on the deck before dinner. Vinho Verde, the subject of my previous blog, is a great choice. The freshness of the fruit, the acidity, and the pétillance of the wine make it delightfully refreshing.

In my quest to write as little new material as possible, I’ll mention another good choice — Rosé, the subject of my blog prior to the one on Vinho Verde. The strawberry and melon flavors in a dry, light-bodied wine also perfectly complement many of the foods served, such as chicken, burgers, and salads.

For the red drinker, lighter style reds make more sense before food is served. Pinot Noir, Beaujolais (from the Gamay grape), and Schiava (an indigenous varietal from northern Italy) are all wonderful. I also suggest an extraordinary wine from Pic St Loup in the south of France — Le Loup Dans la Bergerie (literally, The Fox in the Sheep Pen). This is a medium bodied wine with awesome fruit and spice. It combines Grenache, Syrah and Merlot, is fairly easy to find, is inexpensive, and offers amazing depth of flavor.

While some white drinkers like oaky, buttery California Chardonnays, other varietals work better on a hot, sunny day. The citrusy zip of Pinot Grigio works well (Tieffenbruner is my favorite), as do the Spanish Albrinos (try Burgans). White Bordeaux from France and Soaves from Italy round out my favorites.

As the food arrives, there are myriad wines to choose from. Argentinian Malbec works great, no surprise since Argentinian barbeques are legendary. Renacer Punto Final and Durigutti are two of the best. California Zinfandel, such as Cosentino’s The Zin, are superb, as are Southern Italy’s Negroamaros (e.g. Menhir’s N Zero) and Nero D’Avolas. If you are doing steaks or burgers with blue cheese, try a nice easy going Cabernet like Rickshaw. If lamb is on the menu, the earthiness of the southern Cotes du Rhones makes these the perfect wines. Great examples are Domain Boisson Cairanne and Chapoutier Belleruche.

Whatever you drink, enjoy the holiday and drink responsibly (or let someone else drive home). Remember, great wines that make great food even better don’t have to break the bank. Cheers!

THANKSGIVING WINES

    Thanksgiving is the busiest wine holiday of the year. Everybody wants to have a nice bottle of wine to enhance that turkey. The question is -- what is the best wine for this special occasion? Probably the most commonly chosen red is Pinot Noir, and that is a good choice. My choice for leftovers was a single village Beaujolais. Another great alternative is a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc.

    My choice for the main event, however, was a no brainer -- Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France. This medium to full bodied white wine with its incredible floral and spice aromatics and massive fruit and spice flavor profile stands up to not only the turkey, but also to the gravy, squash, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and all the other flavors that assault your taste buds. Literally a "spice cake in a glass", this is a spectacular varietal and Zind-Humbrecht is the King of Alsacian winemakers.

   What did everybody else have?