In the wine regions of many countries, for example, Transcarpathia, you can often see an inscription inviting you to visit the cellar at the end of November: “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” It is translated as follows: "Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived!"
It is clear that autumn is the beginning of a new year in the viticulture cycle. But does every young drink that has not undergone a long fermentation have a reason and the right to be called "Beaujolais"?
Wine is a product not only and not so much of a variety of vines and production technology. A huge role in the taste and aroma of the drink is played by climatic conditions and soil composition of the region where the berries ripened. Therefore, talking about “Magarache” grown in Massandra, or about Georgian “Saperavi”, that this wine is “Beaujolais Nouveau”, will be incorrect. So what kind of drink is this, the price for a bottle of which is quite high in Moscow? What do the sommeliers say about him? You will learn about this from this article.
What is Beaujolais
In Burgundy - the famous wine-producing province of France - there is the Beaujolais region. He is not the most successful in terms of growing vines. If we compare its climatic and soil features with Côte d'Or, where the exquisite varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Gris grow, we can say that it would be better if local farmers grew apples.
In the Beaujolais region, only unpretentious gametes can be cultivated. But this black grape variety is very productive, and ripens early. Berry picking begins at the end of August, while October is considered the time of the wine "harvest" everywhere. But this is not the most important thing. A distinctive feature of “game” is that wine from it cannot be stored for a long time. A maximum of six months is the deadline for a bottle to be uncorked and drunk. If other drinks only get better with age, then for the Beaujolais wine the main enemy is time. Well, carpe diem, as the ancients said. We will catch the day and enjoy what it brings to us.
Good marketing move?
In many regions, and not only where Beaujolais is made, the feast of young wine marks the beginning of a new agricultural cycle. What was the past year for the harvest? This will show a uncorked bottle of wine that has not yet completed a full course of fermentation. And let the drink be muddy, its aroma is inexpressive, and the taste is too brutal. Connoisseurs can already say what he will become when he "grows up." Such joyful tastings invariably take place where the vines are grown - in Alsace, the Rhine lands, Italy, Moldova ... But only in the Beaujolais region the celebration of young wine means more than just taking a sample. If you do not sell the whole batch, you can simply pour it. So manufacturers are trying to create a hype around their goods. And they succeed. Because "game" of all varieties gives the most not bad young wine.
Grade characteristics
As already mentioned, these vines are unpretentious and early yield a plentiful harvest. But the variety "game" was able to divide people into two camps. “Cheeky and bright wine with a spark!” - they say about Beaujolais alone. “Sour Compote!” - others issue their verdict.
As early as the sixteenth century, the rulers of the duchy of Burgundy ordered the eradication of "game" in their lands. But since the vines of this variety were rescued by winemakers in lean years, subjects were in no hurry to fulfill the order of their sovereign. But the thirteenth-century troubadour, Jean Bodel of Arras, spoke of the Beaujolais: “Wine jumps like a squirrel on the palate. It sparkles, plays and sings. Soak it in the hollow of the tongue, and you will feel how the wine will penetrate your very heart. ” Note that troubadour (apparently not a fool to drink) does not sing the beaujolais aroma, its delicate taste and so on. He simply praises his action on the body. In “game” there are almost no tart tannins that are found in fine wines. It has enough acidity to make the sommelier wrinkle a contemptuous nose. Its smell is artlessly fruity. But he still brings the soul a holiday.
How weaknesses turn into virtues
If a Frenchwoman can make a hat out of nothing, then her fellow winemakers went even further: they turned a minus into a plus. The fact that wine from “gamé” cannot be stored for long made him a welcome guest at the French tables in late November. Everyone is in a hurry to try the young Beaujolais Nouveau wine. Producers skillfully used the general excitement and tried to uncork barrels as early as possible and bottled the drink for sale. The French government had to intervene. First, an edict was issued, according to which "Beaujolais" could go on sale only after November 15. And in 1985, another date was legislatively established: the third Thursday of the last month of autumn. Thus, the young Beaujolais wine of 2014 appeared on the shelves only from November 20th.
There is another requirement for this alcoholic drink: the final fermentation six weeks after the harvest. It is necessary to sell the lot before March next year.
How is the Beaujolais wine festival celebrated?
The French are waiting for the third Thursday of November, like New Year's children or Valentine's Day lovers. Exactly midnight in the capital of the region - the town of Bozho - in the main square, the first barrel is uncorked in the light of torches. Everyone shouts: "Le Beaujolais est arrivé!" The fun begins. Connoisseurs of Beaujolais take a sample from the new crop, and other public just celebrates. Indeed, nothing so cheers up as “daring, bright, unpredictable wine” (as the French themselves describe it), and even drunk among red autumn vines accompanied by crispy baguette and burgundy cheeses.
You can’t stay away from foreign guests who, having once tasted this light drink, will always remember him with nostalgia. Soon, the young Beaujolais wine was celebrated in Australia, then in Japan and Thailand. In the States, it gained popularity in 2000, when they came up with an English-language motto for the holiday: “It's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!” (“The time has come for Beaujolais Nouveau!).
Manufacturing technology
Another reason why the Beaujolais wine is not highly praised by the sommelier is the way it is produced. While noble drinks go through a long process of natural maceration (that is, insisting on pulp), with "game" they act differently. Grapes are simply poured into small (up to 60 hectoliters) closed vats. They launch carbon dioxide, which simply explodes the skin of berries. Carbon maceration is a dishonest reception from the point of view of winemakers. That minimal amount of tannins, which is in the "game", takes on a completely different structure. It's like starting carbon dioxide in a bottle of ordinary wine and passing it off as champagne. So it is with Beaujolais: thanks to such an “explosion”, wine releases juice under the weight of its own bunches for only five to six days. After this, the pulp is pressed and removed, and the wort is sent to fermentation, which lasts only a month.
Characteristics of Beaujolais wine
The drink has a sharp brutal taste with a distinct acidity. The smell of wine is mild fruity. Connoisseurs see notes of blackcurrant, raspberry and cherry in its aroma. The color of the wine with a slight sheen. It should not be too saturated.
Tasters unanimously reiterate the deceptive lightness of Beaujolais: wine beats in the head no worse than a decade-old cognac. Considering that they drink it in meters on a holiday, this is a serious burden on the liver. How do liters translate into a measure of length? Very simple: a special meter-high tray is filled with Pot Lyonnais, Pot de ville or small bottles of 46 cl.
To drink or not to drink - that’s the question
If you are not a snob and love young enthusiasm, then this wine is just made for you. It is bright, with a characteristic taste that cannot be confused with anything else. Perhaps it is not quite suitable for a dinner party. But in company with friends (especially if half of them are young and pretty girls who do not like vodka), Beaujolais will be just right. Another thing is that the manufacturer must be named. About fifty million liters of Beaujolais are made annually in Burgundy from “game”. More than half are immediately exported outside France. To recoup an expensive flight of goods to Russia, distributors acquire the cheapest brands. But with the "game" is also not so simple. In the period of fermentation, the bill goes literally on the clock. If you stop the process earlier, the drink will be slightly colored, unexpressive, and if you hesitate - dull, musty. Therefore, you should buy Beaujolais Nouveau wine from trusted manufacturers. The most famous are Yvon Metras, Jean-Paul Thevenet, Albert Bichot, Georges Duboeuf and Louis Jadot.
How to drink and what to serve
The taste of the young "Beaujolais" is best revealed at temperatures up to thirteen degrees Celsius. French baguette, sliced in large pieces, is required as an accompaniment. If you decide to confine yourself to cold snacks, serve Beaujolais with cold cuts and cheeses (cabrio, seson, camembert, saint-marseille). Young wine is not suitable for hot dishes of beef, veal and poultry. But fatty pork and sour "Beaujolais" is an ideal tender. Again, as French winemakers say, what is the year, so is wine. Therefore, "Beaujolais" is called unpredictable. Game is very dependent on weather conditions. This variety always brings a rich harvest, but the drink may be too sweet or watery. The hot summer last made the young Beaujolais wine of 2014 softer, without shocking acid. It carries the signature aroma of garden berries. Some tasters saw in the bouquet of the current "Beaujolais" notes of ripe banana.