Beaujolais - Oy vay!

[John Whiting]

French wine producers are feeling the chill winds from the New World. Some will say "Alas!", others "Good riddance!" Over to you.

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...30%2Fwine30.xml

[mogsob]

Ah, the cruel operation of the Invisible Hand at work (with some help from national tarrifs, I assume).

If Beaujolais has anyone to blame it is themselves. They have cheapened their image and are not producing the quality of wine that is now coming, for example, out of the Languedoc or Provence. If you had told me 10 years ago that Coteaux would outprice Morgon by a factor of 2 in most cases, I would have thought you crazy. But that is exactly what has happened, and the producers in the south deserve all the credit.

Before they start blaming the New World, they should take a closer look at home.

[Christopher]

I would cry "Alas" as Beaujolais can offer extrodinary value while being a wonderful food wine but agree that they've no one but themselves to blame given that Beaujolais Nouveau has become the signifier for the entire AOC in many minds. (At least here in the states) I encounter more people who believe that this is the beginning and the end of Beaujolais than I do guests saying "Oh look, a Villes Vignes Morgon !"

But even restaurateurs are complicit. It is rare to have the fuller Beaujolais on a wine card, instead, the light, fruity, racy acid infants are plugged in to fill a lower price point.

However, I strongly recommend a Beaujolais I had this Saturday. Regnie Cru du Beaujolais Joel Rochette 2001 Beautiful gamay fruit with a fairly rich mouthfeel and the acid was in balance. If I had tasted this blind I might have guessed Pinot Noir.

[Bux]

Ah the fickle world of retail sales--in any business. It's interesting that the Midi (Languedoc) producers understand the lesssons of the new world. Of course with little tradition of quality wine of their own, it's no wonder they should look to the new world.

Beaujolais was one of the wines on which I cut my teeth or at least learned my early lessons about wine by drinking. I abandoned it when prices skyrocketed and have come back now that other wines have once more leapfrogged ahead in undeserving price. There's a lot of good Beaujolais around and I wouldn't discount the thinner fruity ones that can be so pleasant, especially in the summer. There's a real problem however for producers of all wines, the market has stopped growing by leaps and bounds, but the production continues to increase.

[it aint easy being cheesy]

Jean Calot makes some good Mogons.