LUKE SKYWALKER Beaujolais is written with an S

LUKE SKYWALKER

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

History of Beaujolais • 1 st century B. C. - Caesar's army planted the wine along the roads • 10 th 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

Beaujolais vinification • 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……)

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/supermark ets: 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 March 12 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 Pressing and Fermentation: -checks and analyses -pressed juice (festival in Odenas/10) -run off juice and the press assembled -finished fermentation Analyzing, Filtering, Bottling:

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

What are you tasting? ? ***

Questions?

Thank you and Cheers !!!!