Today on “Wine 101,” we’re doing a quick episode about the story of Beaujolais, a region just south of Burgundy. While Beaujolais is often lumped in with Burgundy, in many ways, the two couldn’t be more different. Sure, Burgundy and Beaujolais both had monks, monasteries, and eventually Dukes, but while Burgundy was focusing on the wealthy city of Dijon, Beaujolais was preoccupied with the cities of Beaujeu and Léon. It was in this region that light, fruity Gamay wines really took hold, due in no small part to the limestone-rich soils of Beaujolais.
By the 14th century, France had come back under royal rule, and Léon experienced both a literature renaissance and a boom in silk trading. Wine production rode that wave in tandem, and with the Beaujeu commune right down the river, wine trade accelerated as well. But it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that the potential of Beaujolais was truly realized by the world at large. Tune in for more.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
*Image retrieved from Gael Fontaine via stock.adobe.com
