The first of its kind March New Year’s Resolution for Wine

Drinking Beaujolais in a Vineyard. Living the dream! Poetic license. This is not a picture of a Burgundy Vineyard, but we can dream.

Wait, more resolutions?!?!? What is this? January?

No! This is my monthly resolution to have more fun with wine.

In case you missed the others, check them out for January and February. I also did one for Dry January followers, but stick with these two and have fun with them.

March is not as dire as February, so Champagne is not as “necessary”  as it clearly was in February. However, if you want to celebrate March, why not? No downside.

March resolution is all about Beaujolais.

Resolve to learn enough about it so you can drink more of what you like.

I look at Beaujolais as a fun easy wine that can go with almost any food you eat it with.

If you order it in an Italian restaurant, they pronounce it:

Bo Yo Lay.

It sounds even more fun that way!

Let’s talk about what you need to know to have maximum fun.

Where is Beaujolais?

Beaujolais is a region within Burgundy France. As I have mentioned before, France has rules out the wazoo for what grapes can be used in specific areas. You can always look at January’s resolution for more on that.

What grapes are grown in Beaujolais?

Notice I said a region within Burgundy. In Beaujolais the grape variety is Gamay. Do not think you are getting a typical Burgundian wine. That is Pinot Noir!

When you are expecting this!

You are in Burgundy.

But you see this!

You are in Beaujolais. By the way, Georges DuBoeuf was known as the King of Beaujolais.

You are much more likely to enjoy a wine that you have an idea what you are getting. If you are expecting chocolate cake and get carrot cake, you may be disappointed. It doesn’t mean the carrot cake isn’t good. It’s not like you’re given a turnip instead of chocolate cake. So expect Gamay and enjoy Gamay. (I will not call out those people who wrote online disparaging Beaujolais for just that reason. You know who you are. )

Although there is a small amount of white Beaujolais, I will not be talking about that.  It is made with Chardonnay grapes, so it could be interesting to taste, but let’s keep this resolution simple and fun.

What else should I know you may ask?

In Beaujolais, location is king! Ok, not quite as much as other regions of Burgundy where prices can be insanely high because of location. But Location still makes a difference in Beaujolais. In particular, the soil is different in different areas. This shows up in the wine.

While you are welcome to research carbonic maceration and why Beaujolais may smell like bubble gum or bananas, I am not going to get into that. It loses the  keeping it simple idea.

What else matters in Beaujolais?

When you go to shop for Beaujolais you should know that there is a hierarchy. With wine in France, there is always a pecking order so to speak. Generally the more specific the label, the higher the price. Whether the price is worth it to you, that obviously depends.

What are some of the options in Beaujolais you may also ask?

You can buy wine that just says Beaujolais. That means the wine can come from any area of Beaujolais. There will be a very wide range of quality here. Most of the wine bottled in Beaujolais is this designation.

Is Beaujolais Nouveau an option?

Let’s discuss Beaujolais Nouveau. It is bottled barely 6 weeks after harvest and is a very simple wine and easy to drink. I’m not sure I would bother with this, but if you can’t resist the marketing, drink it chilled and as soon as you buy it. It comes out in November each year. Since this is a March based resolution, do not buy it now. Wait until next November.

What’s a better option?

Better is relative of course. You can go a little more specific. As I said, that usually costs more money. I often prefer to spend a little more and buy a bottle with a Beaujolais Village designation.

Beaujolais Village is a designation used to describe the better-quality wines that come from granite hills from the north of the region. There are 38 official villages. Thirty of them rate being listed on the label. Again, the more specific the label, the higher the price. They don’t rank at the top though.

There’s more?

That honor belongs to the Cru (pronounced crew) Beaujolais. Usually, the label will only mention the name of the Cru. You need to know it is Beaujolais.

Stylistically they can be quite different from each other. Although, none of them should cost what a high-quality Burgundy will cost, the higher end can reach more than $50 depending on where you buy it. That price range stops being fun for me. Just saying.

Do you need to know the differences among them?

You don’t necessarily need to know, but if you want to buy at this level, be informed. Ask questions if there is a knowledgeable wine sales person. Certain producers are better than others.

What are the different cru Beaujolais? Maybe a little information.

Going from lightest to bolder:

Saint-Amour

This region really leans into the amour part. The logo for the region includes a heart. There are 2 different styles within the region because of the different soils. One style is lighter and fruitier than the other. There are 12 vineyard plots that are special enough to be added to the wine label. Remember the more specific the higher the price. Maybe for Valentine’s Day?

Fleurie

This region is known as the Queen of Beaujolais. This is a great place to start in your Beaujolais adventures.

Chiroubles

Another light style Beaujolais.

Chénas

Really wide range of prices for this cru, depending on the producer. I don’t think of aging beaujolais, but this wine could handle it

Régnié

These wines are really delicious when young.

Côte de Brouilly and Brouilly

This is a classic example of the importance of location. Côte de Brouilly is planted on the slopes of Mount Brouilly. Brouilly is on the flatter area. The former is usually more expensive and has aging possibility. I am a huge fan of Brouilly.

Juliénas

Wines grown in this region are on the more bold side because of the soil. This wine could be aged should you want to.

Morgon

These wines are definitely more serious. They are meant to be aged. Supposedly, if aged it starts to resemble a Burgundian Pinot Noir. So if you were expecting this when you bought the wine, you just have to wait 5 to 10 years. Hmm.

Moulin-á-Vent

These wines have more tannins than most of the others. They are also able to be aged may turn Pinot style if you wait long enough.

Well this was a ton of information. Now what?

PARTY TIME!

Best idea is to buy a sampling of a few different levels and styles an compare them. See if you enjoy the higher priced wines. Does it make a difference?

This is the best way to learn what you like!!

Resolve to have fun with this!! Enjoy!!