Lovers of Beaujolais wine in for a treat this year

The eyes of wine lovers will shortly be riveted on France’s grape harvest, which begins in a couple of weeks. The start date for the Beaujolais grape harvest has been announced, and this year’s vintage is expected to be of superior quality.

Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau wines are appreciated all over the world. Mostly light-bodied and fruity, they are produced in the Beaujolais region of France, which begins on the Northern outskirts of Lyon and extends up to the Saône-et-Loire. There are ten principal types of Beaujolais wine; Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côtes-de-Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin à Vent, Régnié and Saint-Amour. Most Beaujolais wines are made from the Gamay grape, and the harvesting is almost exclusively done by hand. Approximately 100 million litres of wine are produced in the Beaujolais each year, half of which consist of Beaujolais Nouveau. Over half of Beaujolais Nouveau wine is exported, mostly to Germany, Japan and the United States. Le Figaro reports today that the official date for the beginning of the harvest has been announced by the ‘InterBeaujolais,’ the wine-growers’ Federation which oversees and promotes the production of Beaujolais. That date is the 27th of August. Late August is a relatively early start for the harvest, and it has been provoked by “the accelerating evolution of (grape) maturation” according to the Federation. That accelerated maturity has been provoked by the exceptionally hot recent weather conditions in the region. Derogations to the date have been granted to some vineyards situated on the Beaujolais plains whose grapes are particularly mature, and they will begin on August 24. Hillside producers, who have had less sun, will begin on September 12. The region has experienced ideal weather conditions this year, with March to July temperatures being the highest since 1968, with the exception of the heatwave year of 2003. Technically speaking, the heat has led to an excellent sugar/acidity ratio in the grapes, as well as a very low pH level. These factors indicate that we can expect a fairly high alcohol level and this years wines will have a wonderful colour. The harvest is expected to be “moderate,” which means that the volume of wine produced will not be of record proportions, but the quality of those grapes harvested is expected to be very high. 50,000 grape-pickers will be here less than two weeks from now to work the 3000 or so vineyards which cover an area of around 19,000 hectares. Beaujolais Nouveau is associated in France with aperitifs, salads and picnics, and the slightly heavier Beaujolais Villages wines, which can be kept much longer, are better drunk with red meats, stews and other hot and filling dishes. One of the writer’s favourite ways of tasting Beaujolais is in one of the region’s traditional dessert specialities, which consists of slices of fresh, not canned, peaches, a heavy sprinkling of good quality blackcurrants, and a very generous dose of chilled Beaujolais wine. A votre santé!