is called pays des pierres dorées, the country of golden stones, because of the distinctly ochre colour of its soil. Vinyars, pastures and forests occupy this large territory.
The Region
From North to South, from East to West, The Pays Beaujolais brings you a wealth of things to discover and explore. Gourmet stop-offs, subtle tastings, exploring the countryside and meeting the people who live there... Delve deep into the heart of our cellars, sit down at a hostel table, savour menus set in tradition, meet a winemaker and find out about his job, go for a walk in a forest... Vinegrowers, restaurateurs, farmers and guides in the know, all ready and waiting to show you round. Come and meet them and fall for the irresistible charm of our " terroir ".
The Beaujolais is a French AOC wine generally made of the Gamay grape. Like most AOC wines they are not labelled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made with Chardonnay grapes. Beaujolais tends to be a very light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity, making it ill suited for casual sipping. Generally speaking, a Beaujolais should be consumed within the first three years of its life in order to ensure quality; only the wine produced by the best vintners improve with age for up to ten years.
Wines labeled simply "Beaujolais" account for 50% of the production. Beaujolais Villages makes up 25% of the region's production, and the rest come from better vineyard sites in and around the ten "crus" in the north part of the region. Wine from these individual crus, which make up for the rest of the percentage, can be more full-bodied, darker in color, and significantly longer-lived.
Unfortunately, however, these wines do not usually show the word "Beaujolais" on the label, leaving one with little recourse but to memorize the list. The ten crus are the following: Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Saint-Amour, Chiroubles, Chénas, Fleurie, Juliénas, and most recently, Régnié. By far, the largest production comes from the négoçiant Georges Duboeuf, who makes the well-known "flower labels".
Beaujolais nouveau is the wine of the Gamay variety produced in the Beaujolais (AOC) region of France that is authorized for immediate sale after fermentation. It is the most popular vin de primeur, a wine harvested in fall and sold before spring (much sooner than it could be produced through normal fermentation).
Beaujolais nouveau is produced by carbonic maceration followed by Pasteurization, a process which bypasses malolactic fermentation. The wine is ready to be drunk a scant six weeks after the harvest. Each year the new Beaujolais is officially released on the 3rd Thursday of November and no time earlier, which has been mandated by French Law. [1]. Just after midnight a race begins to ship the wine out all around the world as quickly as possible. For a vintner the economic advantages of selling one's wine before the end of the year are substantial, although the wine itself varies dramatically in quality.
Beaujolais nouveau is not a wine to keep; it must be rapidly consumed within a few months of its production. Some wine critics consider it to have an immature but enjoyable flavor not too different from unfermented grape juice, and Karen MacNeil, author of Workman Publishing's The Wine Bible, compares the experience of drinking Beaujolais Nouveau to eating cookie dough.[2]
Young, Beaujolais should be served chilled, at approximately 13°C (55°F), to encourage its fruity complexion. The fuller Beaujolais, on the other hand, are best at about 17°C (60-65°F).
Around 45,000,000 litres of Beaujolais nouveau are produced each year, making up about a third of the region's total wine production. About half of this is exported, some of it as far as Asia. By far the largest production comes from the négociant Georges Duboeuf, who makes the well-known "flower labels". The commercial success of Beaujolais nouveau has lead to the development of similar primeur wines, first in other regions of France and later in other wine producing countries such as Italy (vino novello). In the United States, it is common for Beaujolais Nouveau to be drunk on Thanksgiving, since the holiday falls only a week after the year's production goes on sale.
In France, where the wine is made, winemakers who have worked hard all year tend to look forward to Beaujolais Nouveau Day as a celebration of the season coming to an end.
Taste
Unlike other red wines, the Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be served chilled. The idea behind this being drank at colder temperatures allows it to be more refreshing and more evident fruit flavors.
Nouveau's are light, fruity red wines which are very easy to drink. This wine is a perfect choice for people wanting to get into red wines rather than white wines.
Since the Beaujolais Noveau is produced by carbonic maceration (whole berry fermentation), there is little or no tannins, which allows for a less bitter taste. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.
Grape Gamay noir à Jus Blanc is the only grape variety allowed to be used in the Beaujolais Nouveau. All the grapes in the Beaujolais region must be picked by hand. These are the only vineyards, along with Champagne, where hand harvesting is mandatory.
The Beaujolais area is situated North of the 
Generally speaking, a Beaujolais should be consumed within the first three years of its life in order to ensure quality; only the wine produced by the best vintners improve with age for up to ten years.
Since the Beaujolais Noveau is produced by carbonic maceration (whole berry fermentation), there is little or no tannins, which allows for a less bitter taste. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.