There are few more popular pastimes in the wine world than Beaujolais bashing. "I don't consider Beaujolais to even be part of Burgundy anymore," my friend Craig often says.
While Beaujolais is still a part of Burgundy, jutting slightly into the Rhône, its winemakers have wreaked havoc with its reputation. Earlier this year, 53 producers were fined heavily -- more than the prosecutor requested -- for excessive chaptalization (using sugar to raise alcohol).
And then there's Beaujolais Nouveau, which is a great excuse for a party but not a noteworthy wine. It should be a fun sampling of the vintage -- the 2009 hits the streets a week from today -- but has become too much of a semi-good thing.
Beaujolais Nouveau should be consumed within a few months of its release, because the fruit falls off and is almost gone within a year. But waaaaay too much is produced every year, so a lot of it sits on store shelves long past its unwritten expiration date. Throw in the expense of hasty shipping and the demise of the dollar, and the stuff is hardly a great value -- especially since a lot of it (thanks, chaptalization!) tastes more than a little like candy.
The result: Consumers who enjoy it often think that's all there is to the region -- "move along, nothing to drink here" -- and those who buy it too late don't even think about delving more deeply.
Which is too bad, because the Village and Cru renditions are absolutely worth checking out.
"I'm not going to speak ill of people who want to put wine in their mouth," said Ray Zemke, wine buyer for the Cellars chain. "But the sad part about all the Beaujolais Nouveau is that here's this old classic style that has lost its relevance in America."
Zemke's Beaujolais Retreau promotion pairs a Nouveau with an Oldeau (sorry, but Ray started it!) to give consumers a chance to see both aspects of the region. Still, most merchants basically add some "regular" Beaujolais during this season.
