Like most French wines, Beaujolais takes its name from the Province of Beaujolais, a wine-producing region in North Lyon verging on the Rhone-Alps. Beaujolais is a French wine made only from the Gamay grape. The Gamay grape is the only grape that can be used to make a true Beaujolais, and it is illegal to label a wine with this name if it does not meet this criteria.
Technically, Beaujolais is a Burgundy wine as most of the Province of Beaujolais is in the Burgundy region. Although, since most Burgundy wines are made with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grapes, the Gamay-based Beaujolais stands out. An independent Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, AOC, was established in 1938 after it was determined that the wines from Beaujolais were sufficiently unique in identity.
Beaujolais wines are generally light-bodied, with high acidity and soft tannins. They exude vibrant red fruit aromas including raspberry, red cherry, red currant and cranberries, and flavors and tend to have a bright, juicy freshness to them, even when aged. Most Beaujolais is meant for early drinking, but some can age for several years depending on the quality level. The longer the Beaujolais wine ages, the deeper the flavor and the more complex the nuances become. Beaujolais wine isn’t sweet or jammy. Instead, it can be a bit earthy with refreshing traces of minerality, making it a good wine for sipping solo or pairing with a variety of foods.
Beaujolais production is fast, as it goes from grape to glass in 60 days making it very cost-effective to produce. Other than the grape use, Beaujolais must also contain an ABV of at least 10 percent. The three classifications of this French wine based on the age of the wine are Beaujolais AOC, Beaujolais Villages and Beaujolais Crus, and are sold all year-round. Beaujolais Nouveau is only available around Thanksgiving and often sells out within a few weeks. The unaged Beaujolais Nouveau is sharper and lighter with brighter fruit flavors, sometimes with artificial-smelling aromas of banana and bubblegum.
Beaujolais AOC is the least expensive and more of an everyday drinking wine. Often served chilled, this younger classification pairs easily with food. The light-bodied red has an earthy fruitiness and mellow tannin profile that plays especially well with grilled meats, rich sauces, roasted vegetables, charcuterie boards and summer salads.
Beaujolais Villages ages longer and is dubbed an expressive wine. Beaujolais Villages wines are smooth and balanced, with ripe red and black fruit flavors. This is one of the few red wines recommended to go with fatty fish such as tuna or salmon. This wine also goes well with sushi, steak tartare, roasted chicken and pizza.
The exceptional variety, Beaujolais Crus, comes from the 10 villages in the most northern terroirs, the only area where Beaujolais Nouveau cannot be produced. It is fuller-bodied because it is aged for at least three years and is occasionally compared to Old World Pinot Noir, with mushroom, forest floor and smoky notes. Beaujolais Crus works well with a good steak, confit duck, mushroom dishes or creamy risottos.
Despite hitting its peak of popularity in the world’s wine market in the 1980s, Beaujolais continues to be a quintessential French wine that pairs well with a range of foods.