87. Beaujolais Beyond Nouveau: History, Appellations, and the Future of Gamay

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Episode Overview

In this episode, we stay in Beaujolais but move beyond Beaujolais Nouveau. Building on Episode 86, Joanne looks at the broader Beaujolais region: its geography, history, appellation hierarchy, and some very exciting developments that are shaping its future. This episode is designed to support WSET Level 2 and Level 3 students, but it is also accessible for curious wine enthusiasts who want to understand why Beaujolais is such an interesting region to explore.

Joanne also explains why Beaujolais can be one of the most rewarding regions for everyday collectors who do not necessarily have a Burgundy-sized budget but still want to experience site expression, aging potential, and nuance.

Where Is Beaujolais and Why Does It Matter?

• Beaujolais is in France, sandwiched between Burgundy to the north and the Rhône to the south.

• The region is about 34 miles (55 km) long and 7–9 miles (11–14 km) wide, running from the Mâconnais down toward Lyon.

• The climate is moderate with four distinct seasons, and the landscape divides roughly into:

  • Northern and western hills with pink granite and poorer soils

  • Southern flatter, more fertile areas

• This split in topography and soil type directly influences wine styles and quality.

A Short History of Beaujolais: Romans, Monks, and Nobles

Joanne walks through a brief but vivid history of the region:

• Romans

  • Beaujolais sat on a Roman trade route.

  • Retired Roman soldiers were often granted land and vines as part of their "retirement package."

  • Several names still reflect this legacy:

    • Brouilly (from the Roman lieutenant Brulius)

    • Fleurie (from the legionary Florius)

    • Juliénas (from Julius Caesar)

• Monks

  • After the Romans, monastic orders took over much of the vineyard work.

  • Just as in Burgundy, monks carefully observed and recorded which sites produced better wines, effectively mapping out the best terroirs and laying groundwork for today's hierarchy.

• Nobles and the Burgundy Feud

  • Burgundy wanted nothing to do with Gamay.

  • Philippe the Bold led what Joanne jokingly describes as one of wine history's biggest "smear campaigns," calling Gamay a harmful, bitter variety and ordering it to be pulled out of Burgundy.

  • This pushed Gamay south into Beaujolais, which in hindsight turned out to be a positive shift: Gamay performs better on the low-nutrient pink granite soils found there.

Gamay and the Role of Granite

• Gamay can be very vigorous on fertile soils, producing too many leaves and large bunches that dilute quality.

• On the poor, pink granite soils of northern and western Beaujolais, yields are naturally limited and flavors become more concentrated.

• Vines in many top sites are trained in gobelet (bush vine) form, which:

  • Suits the region's traditional style

  • Often requires hand harvesting, especially for Nouveau and the crus

• In flatter, more mechanizable areas and for some Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages, you see more wire-trained vines to allow machine work.

The Beaujolais Appellation Hierarchy

Joanne breaks down the three main tiers and connects them to geography and style:

1. Beaujolais AOC

   • Appellation established in 1937

   • Represents roughly 34% of total production

   • Mostly from the flatter, more fertile southern vineyards

   • Generally the lightest, simplest styles with fresh, easy fruit

   • Predominantly Gamay, though a small amount of Chardonnay and a little Pinot Noir exist

2. Beaujolais-Villages AOC

   • Appellation established in 1938

   • Around 26% of total production

   • Located in the hillier north and north-west on poorer, granite-influenced soils

   • Can come from 39 named villages, which can append their name to the appellation (though in practice most wines are blends from several villages)

   • Wines typically have:

     • Deeper color

     • More flavor concentration

     • A more pronounced mineral character from the granite

3. Beaujolais Crus (10 Crus)

   • The top tier of the region

   • From north to south:

     • Saint-Amour

     • Juliénas

     • Chénas

     • Moulin-à-Vent

     • Fleurie

     • Chiroubles

     • Morgon

     • Régnié

     • Brouilly

     • Côte de Brouilly

   • For WSET:

     • Level 2: focus on Fleurie

     • Level 3: focus on Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon, and Brouilly

   • Styles:

     • Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon: more structured, with greater aging potential

     • Fleurie and Brouilly: lighter, more perfumed, more suited to earlier drinking

   • Well-made crus can age from five up to around ten years, offering a rare opportunity for affordable cellaring and exploration.

Why Beaujolais Is a Great Region for Collectors

Joanne points out that while top Burgundy is often out of reach for many wine drinkers, Beaujolais offers:

• Distinct terroirs and crus to explore

• Wines with real aging potential at a more approachable price point

• The chance to "collect" over time without needing a grand cru budget

For students and enthusiasts, this makes Beaujolais an ideal region to experiment with buying a case, following vintages, and watching wines evolve in bottle.

The Future of Beaujolais: Clones, Soils, and Potential Premier Crus

There is a lot happening behind the scenes in Beaujolais:

• National Gamay Conservatory (from 2003)

  • Has identified and collected around 1,000 different Gamay types/clones, highlighting the genetic diversity within the variety.

• Soil Studies (from 2009)

  • A detailed soil survey identified around 300 different soil variations within the region.

  • For WSET Level 3, you only need to remember "granite" as the key idea, but this research shows how much nuance exists in reality.

• Lieu-dit and Potential Premier Cru Status (from 2024)

  • Some producers in Fleurie have formally applied to have certain lieux-dits (named, recognized sites) elevated to premier cru status.

  • Other crus are expected to follow this path.

  • The process may take 8–10 years, but it signals how seriously the region is being reassessed in terms of quality and terroir.

All of this points to Beaujolais being a region on the rise, with increasing recognition of its complexity and age-worthy wines.

Support for WSET Students

Joanne reminds listeners that:

• The podcast is meant to support and deepen what you learn in WSET Level 2 and Level 3, not replace the courses themselves.

• For Level 2, focus on:

  • The idea of Beaujolais as a region

  • Beaujolais AOC, Beaujolais-Villages AOC

  • Fleurie as a key cru

• For Level 3, add:

  • More detail on the crus (Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, Fleurie, Brouilly)

  • Appellation hierarchy linked to site and soil

  • Styles and aging potential

More technical detail on carbonic maceration, semi-carbonic maceration, and whole-bunch fermentation will be explored in Joanne's upcoming Level 3–focused podcast, launching in the new year.

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  • For Level 3 students, a new essay question each week to practice the hardest part of the exam

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Join the Conversation

Joanne would love to see what Beaujolais you are drinking:

• Email: joanne@wineeducate.com

• Instagram: @wineeducate

Share your bottles, your favorite crus, or your Beaujolais questions, whether you are in the United States or tuning in from elsewhere in the world.