Beaujolais, wines for the beautiful days, even the red ones!

When the warm weather returns, lunches and other convivial gatherings multiply and call for sharing. Renowned for their light and gourmet profile, Beaujolais wines, whether red, white or rosé, are the ideal partners for your future tastings!

Discover the selection of Beaujolais wines Les Grappes !

Red Beaujolais, wines to be served chilled

The perfect match for summer

To make red Beaujolais wines, the only grape variety used is Gamay. Known for producing light, fruity red wines, Gamay is best enjoyed when served slightly chilled. Yes, there is more to summer than just white and rosé!

To accompany a mixed salad, a platter of cold cuts or a grilled meat, a Beaujolais or a Beaujolais Villages is ideal. Indeed, these wines are appreciated for their delicacy and lightness. With their fruity aromas, they are a perfect accompaniment to the sunny flavors of summer dishes. On very hot days, their generally low alcohol content makes it possible to enjoy them without adding heaviness.

The Beaujolais crus

In the north of the vineyard, 10 crus stand out from the AOC Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages: Juliénas, Saint-Amour, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côtes-de-Brouilly.

Coming from parcels with different soils, subsoils and exposures, each cru has a specific profile but all of them allow to reconcile character and accessibility.

During the summer period, certain crus are particularly appreciable. Fleurie, with its delicate and elegant profile, is ideal for an aperitif or a dish based on white meat and small vegetables. Its floral aromas full of freshness balance the fruity notes.

The Brouillywith its tasty notes of strawberry, raspberry or plum, is the wine of conviviality par excellence. It will accompany all the friendly or family meetings of the beautiful days.

White Beaujolais, the rarity

Where to find white Beaujolais ?

The White Beaujolais is produced in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations, in the south of the region. Out of the 3000 vineyards, about 500 produce white wine and about 2 million bottles are sold each year.

Which grape variety for white Beaujolais?

Chardonnay, a world famous grape variety, is cultivated and used to produce white Beaujolais wines.

It produces attractive wines with a golden color and aromas of white fruits and citrus fruits. In the mouth, the white Beaujolais wines are rather full-bodied, with a pleasant finish.

The white Beaujolais Villages have a more floral and mineral profile with a nice aromatic intensity. Although they are generally consumed young, they can be aged for a few years to express their complexity and intensity.

More and more wine lovers are conquered by the tenderness and freshness of these wines which can be enjoyed as an aperitif but also with fish, poultry or rabbit dishes. They are also appreciated on cheese platters, particularly with goat cheese, or on desserts like tiramisu.

The Beaujolais rosé

In Beaujolais, summer rhymes with rosé! Hidden in the shadow of their big brothers the red wines, the rosé wines of the region however, have become increasingly popular in recent years.

AOC since 1937, Beaujolais rosé is produced in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages AOCs, the two most extensive appellations in the vineyard. The wines are made from the Gamay noir grape variety with white juice.

What distinguishes them from red wines are the production techniques. Indeed, to obtain a rosé wine, the grapes are directly pressed and sometimes undergo a pre-maceration of a few hours. Some winemakers also practice a malolactic fermentation, intended to transform malic acid into lactic acid to soften the wine.

Fresh and thirst-quenching wines

The rosés of Beaujolais offer to the eye a beautiful color oscillating between the color of pomelo and peach. The nose reveals notes of acidic red fruits and citrus fruits, a guarantee of freshness. On the palate, they are real thirst-quenching pleasure wines.

The Beaujolais Villages rosés have a clearer, more limpid color, with pale pink tones. Their nose is fresh and the aromas in the mouth are mainly fruity and very fragrant.

If you are looking for a wine to accompany your summer lunches or barbecues, the Beaujolais rosés will be perfect, served at a temperature between 8° and 11°C.

Rosé, summer nights

Throughout the year, the Beaujolais region is very dynamic and inventive in terms of cultural, sporting and gastronomic events.

In the summer in particular, many events allow you to discover the vineyard and its actors, in a friendly and festive atmosphere.

Eager to promote their know-how, the region's winegrowers organize numerous events in July and August to promote the tasting of rosé: festive evenings, night markets, walks in the vineyards, illumination of monuments in some cities ... "Rosé, summer nights" takes place from Thursday to Sunday throughout July and August.

More info : https://www.destination-beaujolais.com/