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The wine is made from Gamay grapes
grown in the southern part of the region where the chalk-clay soil
gives up a wine that is fresh and light.
Over the years the vineyards have occassionally been destroyed by
natural disasters such as the invasion of phyloxera and the black
frost of 1880. And man made disasters like the 100 Years Wars and
the French Revolution have also taken their toll. After each crisis
the vines were replanted and the damage repaired.
The vines have flourished. Modern scientific methods of pest control
and special care to cultivate the soil insure a bountiful harvest.
Quality Control
The "Appellations d'Origine Controlles" is permitted
on Beaujolais Nouveaux under the strict control of a national institute.
In order to receive this distinction, the planting, nurturing, harvesting,
vinification, bottling and labeling are all monitored to meet special
standards.
Cultivating grapes for wine is a year-round job. Pruning done between
December and March helps shape the vines to produce the best quality
of grape and to control the quantity. The springtime is kept busy
with the care and maintenance of the root stock and the summer is
when grafting is done.
Then comes the harvest. For about three weeks from mid-September
to mid-October. This is a very busy time and since the grapes are
harvested by hand, casual day workers are recruited to help out.
They must keep the bunches whole to allow for sorting out the grapes
that are not of regular ripeness and removing unhealthy bunches.
The grapes are then transported to the wine makers with great care.
There they are vatted. When maceration is complete the juices are
removed and the grapes are pressed. The juices from the run off
and the press juices are put in a vat to finish fermentation. The
wine is then filtered and bottled. Bottling is strictly regulated.
High quality corks are recommended and the use of composite corks
or plastic stoppers are forbidden.
Enjoying the Wine
Beaujolais should be served cool. 50 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit is
ideal. At cooler temperatures the wine folds up on itself and releases
neither its bouquet nor its fruit. Beaujolais Nouveaux can be served
at the table or any place or time that suits your pleasure.
Now we should be ready for the tasting. Sight, smell and taste
are the three criteria to judge the wine.
To make the best of a wine color (robe) a thin, clear glass of
tulip shape is recommended. Nouveaux wines have a crimson, almost
purple robe. Wines that are cloudy or too pale should be passed
up. Swirl the wine in the glass to check if it has good legs or
tears. These are the traces on the side of the glass that flow to
the bottom. If they are thin or fleeting the wine is dry.
For some tasters it is the sense of smell that allows us to appreciate
the wine the most. The swirling movement of the glass has released
the aromas. All you have to do is put your nose in the top of the
glass: thus the importance of the shape of the glass. First the
wine gives up its bouquet, a combination of aromas with a dominant
one prevailing. This is called the primary aroma from the aroma
of small red fruits of Beaujolais, due to the fact that the bunch
is not crushed before fermentation.
It's time now to take a little sip of the wine. But it is too soon
to swallow it. Rolling the sip around in your mouth is the best
way to learn more about it. It's in the mouth that you can decide
if the wine is lively, fleshy, tender, depending on the main elements
that make up wine: acidity, tannin and alcohol.
Enjoy! A votre sante!
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