Oh Boy !
It’s a Beaujolais

Of course most of us in the West know that California has been considered one of the major wine producers in the world since Robert Mondavi became a household name.  And up until a few years ago most of us tended to stay away from the wine of other countries with the exception of champagne. 

There were reasons. We didn’t really understand much about the mostly French wines that came into this country. That was for those snobs in New York. Most of us didn’t know the difference between Bordeaux and Burgundy much less areas such as the Rhone or Languedoc.  We figured they were overpriced, snooty and had to travel an extra 6,000 thousands of miles to get here. How could they be a value?

Well, as the world has become one big market, wine is no exception. One of the big changes is also that the dollar buys more now against the Euro and almost all foreign currency. Wines from other countries are more than competitive with Napa in price and quality and should not be overlooked.  

 

A good risk free, economical and easy place to get familiar with foreign wines is by starting with the Beaujolais area of Eastern France.  Beaujolais is just South of the elite Burgundy wine district and shares many characteristics. However it is made with Gamay grapes rather than the premium Pinot Noir of Burgundy. Wines from both places rarely come directly from the vineyards. The generally small growers sell their grapes to shipper- producers whom then make and market the wine. In Bordeaux, the large chateau estates like Rothschild, Petrus, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc and others perform all the functions. Thus these latter wines although primarily from the Pauillac area of the Medoc feature the estate name rather than the area that the grape is grown.

In the Burgundy- Beaujolais region it is the opposite. The small area that grows the wine is featured and the shipper producer is secondary on the label. But the shipper producer is very important. Among the leading shipper producers widely represented in this country are Joseph Drouhin, Louis Jadot, and Bouchard Pere et Fils. They all sell great and expensive red and white Burgundies as well as Beaujolais Reds.  However the big name in Beaujolais only is George Dubeouf. Nevertheless any of the labels generally assures a very acceptable wine and usually good value.

Beaujolais runs the gamut in  price from about $5 for Beaujolais Nouveau which is essentially a trash promotion and should be avoided up to about $20. Basic Beaujolais is a pleasant light wine with nice aroma and soft finish often found for around $8. But you probably should upgrade slightly to Beaujolais Village for about $2 more. Superior wines from areas such as Fleurie-slightly feminine, Morgon-more masculine and Moulin A Vent-very popular can be taken seriously for around $15. You might want to try all of them over a period of time to see if you like the style. They all are fruity, dry, pleasant to drink young and are very consistent. My suggestion is to go with producer Dubeouf if you come upon him.


Stainless Steel Fermentation Tanks at 
Beaujolais Powerhouse Georges Dubeouf

You may wonder if you can actually get a decent wine for those prices but you could be surprised. They are not the heavier reds that you may be used to in Bordeaux style Cabernets but lean toward the lighter Burgundy style Pinot Noirs you may have occasionally encountered.  The English, just across the channel from Bordeaux, became attached to the Cabernet wine; called it their own “Claret” and Northeastern America followed the English Cabernet taste. However Pinot Noir Burgundies usually command bigger prices than Cabernet Bordeaux in most of the world. Many California Russian River Pinot Noirs such as Rochioli and Williams and Selyem are wait listed at the winery and still command almost $100 price tags.

Later in 2001: Italy, Spain, Chile and Australia – All different but many fine wines and some great values.

The Absolute Final Answer – Last Minute Bubbly Availability and Recommendations - Prices Approximate

Freixenet Cordon Negro
Spanish Brut    $6 
Cristalino Brut Spanish $6 Recommended Value
Korbel Brut or Extra Dry California   $9
Pacific Echo California  $13 Highly Recommended
Gloria Ferrer California  $13
Louis Roederer Estate California  $18
Montebello – French  $17
Gloria Ferrer Private Reserve 1992 Cuvee Carneros Brut California  $20 Very Highly Recommended
Taittinger Francaise French $29  

For current in stock information contact me at Fredlich1@aol.com.