06/20/05 Monday question - Beaujolais

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we answer your email questions. Recently a listener wrote to ask "I am not a big red wine drinker but I find that I like Beaujolais. Can you tell me something about Beaujolais?" If you are not much of a red wine drinker but you are enjoying Beaujolais that is probably the first sign that you are going to become a red wine drinker. The Beaujolais that you are enjoying is probably young and made in a bit lighter style so it is a great wine to move you into drinking and enjoying both white and red wines. Beaujolais is actually a place within the Burgundy region of France. Red wines there are made from the red grape Gamay. The wines are made in many different styles and range from very light bodied fruity wines, to rather serious somewhat age worthy reds. As I stated earlier I think the wines that you are drinking are probably the less complicated lighter fruity wines that are attractive to someone who doesn't normally enjoy red wines. Beaujolais comes in many categories the most well known are the Beaujolais Villages. These are wines that come from specific villages in the northern part of Beaujolais. Next are the much more serious Cru Beaujolais. These wines come from ten very specific villages that produce a much more tannic big red wine with a good deal of character and structure. It will say Cru c-r-u on the label. Seek out and try some of the more simple wines and as you develop a taste for them move your way into the cru Beaujolais. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.