‘Ono ē! Beaujolais

Back in our pre-France life, in California and Hawaii, each fall, we were aware of the arrival of the Nouveau Beaujolais wines. Mostly just in passing thanks to some display at the grocery store. The “new” Beaujolais red wines were light, generally inexpensive, and unremarkable — at least to our untutored palates.

The parents of our friend Valérie (as in Jef and Val, previously of Carcassonne and now of Le Puy-en-Velay) live smack in the middle of the Cru Beaujolais region. Cru refers to a great or superior growing site or vineyard, an appellation; it’s a concept linked to the French notion of terroir, which is all about the characteristics of a specific place. 

Val’s father, Paul, is especially proud of his region and its wines. He and Val’s mom, Marie-Éliane, insisted that we drive up to visit, and that he would arrange an introduction to the wines of Cru Beaujolais — including, of course, a bit of wine tasting. Jef and Val joined us from Le Puy.

Our first stop was the Hameau Duboeuf, first created by Georges Duboeuf in 1964. 

About Georges Duboeuf:

There are a handful of names in the world of wine that have broken through the barriers of the business and come to signify an entire region, or style or more elementally, the deeply felt joy that drinking it evokes. Georges Duboeuf … managed to achieve all three—and then some.

His family had been tending vines and crafting wine in Burgundy’s Mâconnais for centuries, but it wasn’t until Georges joined the family business and began selling their white wines that he also began peddling (and pedaling: these sales trips were taken on his bicycle) the reds of nearby Beaujolais on the advice of customers like Paul Bocuse and the Troigros brothers. Through a combination of technical know-how, vision, and indefatigable passion for the region that his name became so inextricably linked to, he played an unparalleled role in spreading the gospel of Gamay around the world. (source)

About the Hameau Duboeuf, from its own marketing materials:

Mr Georges Dubœuf converted the former station of Romaneche-Thorins in 1993 in order to share his passion for wine and winemaking. There is an impressive collection of objects from over 2000 years of culture. Today, the Hameau Dubœuf is the top wine-park in Europe. It was awarded the national prize for wine tourism in 2010 and welcomes 100 000 visitors a year. (source)

When Paul told us that a wine museum would be our first stop, we thought, “Oh, great, walking around staring at dry exhibits of vineyard tools and wordy sign panels.” But, fortunately, this place is both thorough and entertaining. The first few rooms are indeed full of exhibits, all very well presented. 

We learned right away about the Beaujolais region. It’s spread over about 180 square kilometers / 70 square miles above the Rhône River Valley. Most of this area produces generic Beaujolais, Nouveau Beaujolais and Beaujolais Village wines. Some of these are what we used to see in the US grocery stores.

A much smaller area of 62 square kilometers / 24 square miles, encompassing just ten village areas, hosts the Crus Beaujolais. There are ten precisely defined crus in Beaujolais. The wines produced in each terroir have distinct characters. These red wines are more robust, structured and interesting than standard Beaujolais. This result is remarkable because all the red wines are made from only one grape variety: Gamay Noir.

One of the exhibits in the Hameau Duboeuf included this summary of the different terroirs and their characters.

Before having tasted a few wines from different terroirs, this list struck us as charmingly bla-bla-bla. “Bla-bla-bla” is our word for the flowery text often included on wine labels. You know, like: 

The surprising mineralogy, the formidable freshness, the deep body of the wines of [name withheld to limit embarrassment]. It’s nature that decides, and finally we don’t contribute much. On this rare site, protected, tucked against the cliffs, the vines plunge their roots in the precious sub-soil of schist and limestone. Our task consists simply to let our vines express themselves completely freely. This vintage is one of our jewels. We have crafted for you a Grand Vin that brings you richness and noble elegance. Aged in barrels, it is best savored without hurry, with elegant and refined cuisine. This is a wine of special moments and discoveries.

So, how can one grape lead to such a wide variety of flavors and aromas? The answer around here is always, “It’s complicated.” Which, of course, it is. Think of all the variables: specific bit of land, orientation to sun and wind, the weather of the season, trimming and tending, harvest conditions, and then all the nuances of juice extraction, fermentation and storage. The grape variety is just one little element among many.

But still, so much diversity in a very small region. One key factor is that there is a big range of geologic and soils conditions that underlie the vineyards. So, when wine-types say they “get”minerality in the nose or taste of the wine, sometimes it’s quite literal. Or, at least, what the vine roots push against determines the character of the grapes and therefore the wine.

After the museum rooms, the experience turned interactive. In one theater room, all the walls come alive with a charming narrative about this history of wine production in the Beaujolais region, from Roman times to now. As a grandfather tells stories to his grandson — and to a black cat that perches here and there around the room — we watch time pass outside virtual windows. 

In another theater, we watch a 3D musical movie about the wine harvest. A musical about Beaujolais wine! 

Finally, the last room holds three round movable platforms and a huge screen from our feet up to the high ceiling. It’s one of those multi-sensory rides: the platforms rock and jerk to match the video. Accompanied by a pair of animated bees (!), we fly over vineyards, picturesque villages and lush forests: a drones-eye tour of the region.

Of course, the interactive exhibits are in French. But headsets with translations are available. Mike chose to listen in English. For the exhibit with the bees, the bees say only bzz bzz bzz — in both French and English. 

The last two stops on the circuit through the museum were hardly a surprise: a tasting of a couple of the wines from Hameau DuBoeuf, and a vast wine and gift shop. We bought a set of 10 bottles, one from each terroir of Beaujolais. Over the coming weeks, we are going to see if all those promised distinctions and nuances of the wine zones are really there.

We enjoyed a pleasant lunch in the restaurant of Hameau Duboeuf. The restaurant space, as well as some of the museum, used to be the train station of the village of Romanèche-Thorins. The former station hall makes a light-filled dining room.

After lunch, Paul took us to a couple caves cooperatives and private wine producers. 

Caves cooperatives exist all through the wine regions of France. In general, they are places where viticulturists (grape growers) from right around a particular village bring their grapes. Then vintners (winemakers) make wines from the consolidated grapes from many growers. The vintners may also make wines from individual grape growers; there are plenty of viticulturists who know all about growing the grapes, but not about how to make wine. Growing grapes and winemaking are each immensely complicated and specialized enterprises.

Visiting caves cooperatives is a great way to try different wines from precise wine-producing areas. Typically, the prices are very moderate to even quite low. You can buy wines by the traditional 75 cl bottle, but also in bulk, such as in 10 litre BiBs (Bag-in-Box: there is a plastic or mylar bag inside the cardboard box. The dispensing spigot keeps oxygen out of the bag, which means that the wine lasts well after opening.)

Juliénas

The cave cooperative in Juliénas is in a deconsecrated chapel.

In 1955, Victor Peyret. and the wine-makers of Juliénas turned this deconsecrated romanesque chapel into a wine-tasting cellar : le Cellier de la Vieille Eglise.

The lively bacchanian fresco was painted by René Besset, a Parisian artist. This was not a random choice as Victor Peyret, a friend of Henri Monnier of the newspaper ‘Le Canard Enchaîné’, often left his castle at Les Capitans on the outskirts of Juliénas, to become an untiring promoter of Juliénas in Paris.

Each November, the Juliénas wine-makers celebrate the new wine, and pay tribute to the founder of the cellar by giving the Victor Peyret prize – 104 bottles of Juliénas, being two per weekend for a year – to an artist, painter, journalist or writer who has used his talent to promote the cru. A prize is also given to those who have sold the most Juliénas. The entire ceremony takes place in a very festive atmosphere, accompanied by the ‘Vaillante’, the local brass band. Nevertheless, the Old Church is also a vat-room, fulfilling this function during the vintage. Although the visitor may be allowed a quick glimpse of the proceedings through the half-open door, it is really for wine-makers only, and he will be politely reminded that the wine-tasting cellar has been temporarily transferred to the other side of the street.

Fleurie

The cave cooperative of Fleurie.

The woman in the upper right window is Marguerite Chabert:

1927: This is the year in which the Fleurie wine growers came together and sold their Beaujolais grapes collectively for the first time. Since then, successive families have continued to work with Cave de Fleurie: our “elders” created and established our winery’s image with, among them, some very important figures, who have influenced and helped to develop the entire Beaujolais region. Marguerite Chabert, President from 1946 to 1984, was one such figure…. [she] was the first woman in France to be elected president of a wine cooperative’s board of directors. (source)

Chiroubles

Domaine Christophe Savoye: Rather than a cave cooperative, this is a private wine grower and producer. The friendly woman behind the counter owns the domaine with her husband who is both viticulturist and vintner. One of the pleasures of stopping at the shops of wine makers is that you talk to the people who make the wine, not just people hired to sell bottles.

Beaujeu

A small museum and wine and local-products shop in the village of Beaujeu. The name of Beaujolais comes from the name of this village.

Connected to this shop is one of the Renaissance buildings of the village — from the 14th and 16th centuries.

About the village of Beaujeu, from the museum notes:

The golden age of Beaujeu” from the year 1000 to the 14th century, Beaujeu is the historical capital of the Beaujolais region. Indeed, the sires of Beaujeu gave the region its name. It all began in the 10th century with the construction of the Pierre-Aiguë castrum (fort), ordered by Bérard of Beaujeu. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the population flourished and the village at the foot of Pierre-Aiguë was extended into the valley. The town of Beaujeu developed around the church dedicated to St Nicholas. In the 12th century, Beaujeu became the capital of the Beaujolais region. In the 13th century, it was the third barony of France after Bourbon and Coucy. Starting in the 15th century, the Beaujolais region progressively lost the title of political capital. By 1611, the long abandoned Pierre-Aiguë castle was in ruins. It was destroyed by order of the governor of Lyon. Today, on the rocky spur of Pierre-Aiguë, the chapter fountain and a few former homes of canons are the last remains of an age when the sires of Beaujeu held an important place in the kingdom of France.

About the Renaissance house, from the museum notes:

From the Middle Ages, in the centre of town, the only survivors are St Nicholas’ church and the half-timbered house which is now Beaujolais House of local products. Dating back to the 14th and 16th centuries, it has been a protected historical monument since 1978. In the Middle Ages, house walls were made of mud bricks, a “natural concrete” composed of clay, water and fibers (straw, hay…). They were supported by big wooden beams (timber framing). The houses were built close together and the upper floors overhung the street to gain space inside.

Morgon

Our final stop of the day was right next door to Paul and Marie-Éliane’s house. Their long-time neighbors are viticulturists and vintners: Marielle and Patrick Bergeron. They had invited us all for an apéro (drinks and munchies before dinner) as well as a tasting and a little selling. It was all super casual; the neighbors have known each other for many years. Patrick and Marielle were charming. The wines were tasty. (Yet another purchase! Self-control is still a work-in-progress.) Everyone got along so well that Paul and Marie-Éliane invited them over for dinner. We enjoyed a hearty beef stew that Jef had made, and drank the rest of the wines that Patrick had opened for the tasting. Perfect ending for a full day in Beaujolais.

By the way, ‘Ono ē! is “It’s delicious!” in Hawaiian.