LUKE SKYWALKERLUKE SKYWALKER

                                                                                                  

Beaujolais is written with an "S" because there are 12 of them

History of Beaujolais

• 1st century B.C. - Caesar's army planted the wine along the roads

• 10th century - nobility created the town of Beaujeu in the western hills of Beaujolais

• July 1395 - identity distinct from neighbor Burgundy, after Philippe the Bold outlawed the Gamay grape in Burgundy

• Edict proved to be a good thing for each of the two regions

Beaujolais vinification

• Typicity: the original element identifies a Beaujolais among other wines

• Sensory quality: subjective for the taster

• Nutritional quality: wine and health

      

•Unique grape variety Gamay noir à Jus Blanc, red Beaujolais (99% of production)

•Highest densities of plantation in the world 10 000 vines/ha (7 000 to 13 000 vines/ha)

•Many characteristics of the harvest (soil, maturity, condition……)

Beaujolais vinification

Who makes Beaujolais?

• 3 619 wine making estates produce the different Beaujolais appellations.

• Many vine growers join forces within the 19 co-operatives

Where are Beaujolais sold?

• 48% in France:

– Cafés, hotels and restaurants: 26%

– Hyper/supermarkets: 42%

– Other: 32%

• 52% abroad:

– Germany: 26%

– Switzerland:15%

– USA: 14%

– Japan: 10%

– Great Britain:9%

– Others: 26%

The vine growing

Plantation:

Grape variety for red wine - Gamay

Pruning:

From December to March12 buds left on wine

:

Making Beaujolais

Manual Harvesting: -35.000 people, 20 days in mid-September -good for sorting grapes - mechanical harvest not satisfactory

Keeping Wine Appellation: -length of maceration (4 to 10 days)-temperature - bunch/juice ratio

Making Beaujolais

Analyzing, Filtering, Bottling:

Pressing and Fermentation: -checks and analyses-pressed juice (festival in Odenas/10)-run off juice and the press assembled-finished fermentation

Tasting

• Temperature : Nouveaux wines 12-14°C - below that neither its bouquet nor its fruit - maximum for a Cru 18°C, the ideal 16°C

• Sight : thin, tulip shape, clear glass - robe verging on purple - old wines slightly towards brown - swirl the wine and check "good legs" or tears (if they are thin or fleeting the wine is dry)

Tasting

•Smell : swirling releases distinctive aromas (bunch is not crushed before fermentation )

-secondary aromas mainly fruity: apricot, cherry, peach, strawberry, raspberry, pear and apple.

•Taste : take a little sip but its too early to swallow as your mouth can discover more

- now you can decide if the wine is lively, fleshy, tender, long depending on the main elements : acidity - tannin - alcohol

Vintage code

Classification based on general and objective

observation.

*****  EXCEPTIONAL (Vintage of the century)

****   EXCELLENT

***   GOOD

**   QUITE GOOD

*   ACCEPTABLE

 Vintage 

 Beaujolais Nouveaux 

 Beaujolais andBeaujolais Villages 

Beaujolais Crus 

1982 *** * *1983 ** **** ****1984 ** * *1985 * ***** *****1986 ** * *1987 *** ** **1988 ** *** **1989 *** ***** ****1990 **** **** ****1991 *** ***** *****1992 *** ** **1993 ** *** ****1994 *** *** ***1995 *** **** ****1996 *** *** **1997 ***** **** ****1998 *** *** ***1999 **** *** ****2000 **** **** ****

What are you tasting??

                                             

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Questions?

Thank you and Cheers !!!!