Beaujolais Wine Region
Written By: Brian Freedman on Thu, May 31st 2007
Wine Region of the WeekMost people associate Beaujolais with that vapid plonk that's spilled onto the world's wine market every November, dumbing-down our palates and stripping our hearts of any faith in what is actually a fabulously varied winegrowing region. And while Beaujolais Nouveau - which is French for avoid this wine like the plague - is the most well-known wine from this area, it's far from the best. There are four levels of Beaujolais. They are, in ascending order of quality: Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and any of the 10 Beaujolais Crus. This last group, whose bottles will not say Beaujolais on the label but, rather, just the name of the cru in which the grapes were grown, are some of the most interesting, inexpensive reds around. Look for wines from Morgon, Julienas, Chiroubles, Brouilly, and Regnié - they're fabulous. And fabulously affordable.Beaujolais is a historical province and a wine-producing region in France. read more
