The Wine That's Bad and Beaujolais

The time for Wine of the Week has come again, my friends, and today we're traveling (figuratively of course) to the land of fashion, Moulin Rouge, and of course, fine wine. Don your glasses and jet set away with me to Beaujolais; a sinfully under-rated wine lover's paradise in France (located just south of Burgundy.)

Beaujolais is a huge wine producing region (larger than any single district of Burgundy, in fact) housing approximately 4,000 Gamay grape growers. While the region is administratively considered part of Burgundy and experiences climates synonymous to those found in the Rhone Valley, the wine produced here really has its own distinct personality and flavor profile and for that reason, this 34-mile long region is standing out in a big way.

*Image by Wine Folly; head to their website for a full line-up of wine region maps!

Generally producing light-bodied wines with medium-high levels of acid, Beaujolais is often characterized by notes of red fruit, stone fruit, florals, and earthiness. With 10 distinct crus (a fancy way of saying a vineyard recognized for quality) in the region, you can buy a great bottle of Beaujolais for a fraction of the price of Burgundy - so it's light on both the palate and the pocketbook, and honestly, what could be better than that!?

Here's another fun fact for you: Beaujolais is actually not a bottle to keep around in your cellar long. It only takes a few days to ferment (using a process called carbonic maceration) and is a great wine to drink right away! So, if you're anything like me (seemingly unable to keep a bottle of wine uncorked for more than a few days), this bad boy is for you. (Just to add: there are 4 Crus that produce more full-bodied wines that are actually best served 4-10 years after harvest: Morgon, Chenas, Julienas, and Moulin-a-Vent. The remaining 6 are better to drink young.)

Want another reason to try this varietal? It's great for this transitional period between seasons! It's a red wine, so it fits in seamlessly with a fall table-scape, but it's best served chilled, making it perfect for an 80 degree day (like the one we're having here in MN today!)

For this week's tasting, I will be enjoying the delights of a 2017 from Morgon, available at Total Wine for $19.99 (see, even though I know this one will get better with aging, I still can't keep it around!) Tune into my WOTW highlight reel on IG (@thecandidcork) to try this wonderful wine with me. Cheers, Corkers, and thanks for joining me for this episode of Wine of the Week!