Something old, Something Nouveau

Susy At kins reveals there's much more to Beaujolais than just Nouveau

The image of Beaujolais is that of a fun, easy-going red, something to plan a party around in November when newly made Beaujolais Nouveau comes racing across the channel Even the very word ?Beaujolais?sounds rather jolly.

But there is far more to this popular red than meets the eye. Nouveau is all very well, but dive deeper into the region and you?ll soon discover much more interesting reds made from Beaujolais? gamay grape. They display its versatility in styles ranging from the exuberantly fruity, juicy and succulent to more complex, full -bodied, often oak-aged examples. As food-matchers they are superb ? try them with steak, duck and pork, peppery sausages, fine cheeses and pates, rich tomato pasta sauces and more.

And it?s a great time to discover these wines as the quality of Beaujolais across the board has improved dramatically in the last ten years or so, with talented winemakers championing gamay like never before and some fine vintages to boot

But before I get on to those in more detail, there?s the small matter of Beaujolais Blanc?

Beaujolais Blanc

Yes, Beaujolais produces a white wine. It?s made from the chardonnay grape, mainly grown in the far north of the region, bordering Burgundy?s Maconnais to the southwest of Villefranche-sur-Saone. It only makes up 2% of the region?s production however; appellation laws state that white grapes must not exceed 15% of a vineyard, so the amount made will always be limited

I urge you to try white Beaujolais. Typically well-balanced, with the generous fruitiness of chardonnay, often in a rounded style and not too oaky (if at all) it will especially appeal to white Burgundy lovers (and prices are notably keen too)

Beaujolais-Villages

A notch up from reds labeled ?Beaujolais? , Beaujolais-Villages is an appellation that is well worth exploring. It?s in the northern part of the region and includes 38 villages The vineyards are mainly steep with altitudes of between 200-500 metres (this helps to keep fresh acidity n the grapes), facing east-south-east on granite, sandy soils with some volcanic sedimentary rock

Beaujolais-Villages wines come in a diverse range of styles but generally they deliver more structure and complexity than the average Beaujolais. Some are very serious wines indeed, worthy of long ageing, though there are impressive versions in the highly fruity style too Many offer great value for money.