Beaujolais Wine: Gamay & The Fruitier Red Wines of Burgundy

Beaujolais wine is from the southern part of the Burgundy wine region. Find out why the wine is different from the rest of Burgundy, what Beaujolais Nouveau is and more.

This Burgundy wine region is 35 miles long from the north to the south end. It is about 9 miles wide.

Over 90% of the wine in this region is Gamay wine. The only other red that grows in this region is Pinot Noir wine.

The current regulations allow producers to add small amount of Pinot Noir wine to some of the Beaujolais wine, but few producers actually use it. In 2015, the regulations change and after that time no more Pinot Noir wine is allowed.

You will find the Beaujolais wine ranges from light and fruity wines to fuller bodied wines. It accounts for more than 40% of the Bourgogne wine, or wine produced in the Burgundy region.

The best vintages for this red wine are 2002, 2003 and 2005. You will also find very high quality wines for the vintages of 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Differences Between Beaujolais and Burgundy

Beaujolais is still officially a part of the Burgundy region. However, the two regions have separate marketing and branding. This makes it seem like the two are different regions to the outside consumer.

The reason for this is that this region is very different from the rest of Burgundy. The key things that make Beaujolais different are:

• Climate: Beaujolais is far enough south that it has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Burgundy has a continental climate and is slightly cooler in the summer. This is an important point because climate determines the types of grapes that can grow in each region. For reds, Burgundy is mostly Pinot Noir, which grows well in cooler climates and Beaujolais grows Gamay, which grows well in a warmer climate.


• Soil: The soil is also different in the two regions. Burgundy is mostly limestone, again, great for Pinot Noir. Beaujolais soil is a combination of granite, sedimentary rock, clay and just a little limestone, making it better for Gamay.


• Wine Making Techniques: The two use different wine making techniques. Burgundy uses a more traditional approach where Beaujolais wine is from a fermentation technique called carbonic maceration. This process works well with fruitier grapes, such as Gamay. However, some of the more serious wine makers are turning to traditional wine making methods for their Beaujolais wine.

Understanding Beaujolais Wine Labels & Quality Levels

There are only three quality levels in this region, compared to the four quality levels found in the rest of Burgundy. The three quality levels are Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and Cru.

The lowest quality level, Beaujolais, is the basic, regional or general category of wines. Many of the lesser-known vineyards in the southern side of the region produce these wines. The minimum alcohol requirement for these wines is 9%. About 50% of the wine in the region is in this category.

One level up is Beaujolais-Villages. Wine makers are required to use grapes from at least two villages to create the blends at this level. About 35 villages located in the middle of this region continually produce higher quality wines than the rest at this level. They are a sub-group and classified as part of the superior group. All Beaujolais-Villages wines have a minimum alcohol content of 10%. About 25% of the wines from the region are in this category.

The highest quality level is Beaujolais Cru. In other regions, vineyards receive the cru category ranking. It is a little different in Beaujolais, where the cru wines are from villages. There are 10 cru villages and all are located at the northern end of this wine region. The names of the villages are:

1. Brouilly
2. Chenas
3. Chiroubles
4. Cote de Brouilly
5. Fleurie
6. Julienas
7. Morgon
8. Moulin-A-Vent
9. Regnie
10. Saint-Amour

You can find a number of great options from Duboeuf. They are one of the top producers in the region and have reasonably priced Beaujolais that are light and fruity or even big and bold. Find a great selection of 90+ rated Beaujolais for $20 or less.

What is Beaujolais Nouveau?

Beaujolais Nouveau wine is a preview of the current year’s vintage. In French, it is ‘vin primeur’ or first wine.

The tradition in this region is to quickly bottle a portion of the current vintage and release it to the market for immediate consumption. The average time between harvest and the release is about 60 days. Producers in Beaujolais bottle and distribute about one-third of the wine in the region in this way.

This began decades ago and was an early indicator for the quality of the vintage for the locals. In the 1960s, the tradition spread into Paris and other parts of the world. At this time, the term Beaujolais Nouveau caught on and everyone still uses this term today.

Due to the popularity of this first release, the regulating body in France, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), set an official release for Beaujolais Nouveau wine in 1985. The regulation is very strict and those selling it by the glass or bottle can release it no earlier than 12:01 am on the third Thursday of November.

You will want to drink this wine right away, as it has no aging ability in it and will not keep for very long. The fullness of the fruit comes out more when chilled. Before drinking it, chill it in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes or in a bucket of ice.

The Gamay grapes for this wine are usually from either the Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages quality levels. Producers from the top ten Cru villages mentioned above never make Beaujolais Nouveau wine. As you can imagine, they save the higher quality grapes for the later releases when the wine is aged a little longer.

The popularity of this wine is dwindling a little due to an increase in requests for higher quality Beaujolais wine. However, you will still see quite a bit of press around the release of this wine as Beaujolais producers continue to carry on the tradition.

Serving & Food Pairing Tips for Beaujolais Wine

The great thing about this wine is that you can really enjoy most of them at an early age. Beaujolais Nouveau and some of the regional wines are really best when you consume them right away. You will want to store the villages wines only up to two years. The more expensive, serious cru wines can store a little longer or up to around five years.

As I mentioned above with the Beaujolais Nouveau wines, you will also want to chill the lesser expensive or lighter ones. It seems strange to chill a red wine, but this brings out the fruit in the wine a little more. If you travel to this region, you will also find that this is how it is typically served in restaurants and bars.

You will not want to chill all of them though. Serve the heavier, more expensive ones at a similar wine serving temperature as other red wines.

You can enjoy Beaujolais wine with almost any food. Pair the lighter wines with lighter foods and meals such as light cheeses, chicken and fish. Stay away from spicier foods with the lighter ones. Serve the heavier ones, usually the cru wines, with a meal that has a little more density.

If you are searching for a great Thanksgiving Day wine, then you will find this as a great option. Since the wine is so versatile, many people enjoy it so its a great option for meals with quite a few different people.

You can also drink the lighter ones in the summer, when most people prefer lighter wines. You can chill them and still enjoy a little red wine during those hot summer days.

Learn more about this region and some of the other popular wine regions in France:

Gamay Wine: Want to learn more about the famous wine behind the Beaujolais wine? Discover more information on this little known grape and a handful of other regions that grow this red.

Bordeaux Fine Wine: Located on the other side of France is Bordeaux and its fine wines. What makes it so popular? What types of reds come from this region? Find out about the real Bordeaux and how the region is changing to broaden its audience.

Rhone Valley: To the south of Beaujolais is the Rhone Valley wine region. Learn about both the northern and southern Rhone regions and how to find some of their popular red wines.