Originally published on July 12, 2008.
Beaujolais was the first red wine I ever drank and it remains my go-to recommendation for people just starting to cut their teeth on red wine. Made from the Gamay grape, it’s light, low in tannins, can handle a bit of chill. The wines i like have what I call a ‘sweet-tart’ quality and offer up a nice balance of fruit, earth, and crisp acidity.
(This is where trying to describe a wine can get you in trouble – some people hear ‘sweet’ and think yuck, some people hear ‘tart’ and think yuck, but I say it and think ‘yum’. For me, it’s shorthand for the sort of lip-smacking sweet-and-sour combination that makes so many foods and drinks so refreshing, like a Tom Collins or Sidecar made properly with fresh juices.)
Anyhow, I love Beaujolais for it’s ‘sweet-tart’ quality.
Beaujolais has somewhat of a bad reputation among ‘serious’ wine drinkers as being little more than a fruity-tooty version of red wine. And certainly a lot of the bigger, more commercial Beaujolais brands are more fruity than tarty (maybe that makes them tarty in a different way?). But there are plenty of smaller producers making a more classic, old-school version. And not every wine needs to be ‘serious’ to be good. That’s like never going to the beach because you could go to the library instead. And I’m not even going to get started on Cru Beaujolais which, aside from just sounding gorgeous as it roles off the tongue, can be absolutely serious and age-worthy.
So for me, for summer, it’s all about a nice, easy Beaujolais-Village. I currently have one on the shelf: Domaine de la Madone ‘Perreon’ Beaujolais-Village 2006. It’s got the fruit-tart goodness that cools you down on a hot summer day, or brightens up a rainy summer day. It even pairs well with air-conditioning. What more could you want for less than $15 (including tax).