The Herald - The Herald Magazine
DRINK Enjoying French wine
The 2018 vintage is one of the best
DESPITE being a huge success in the 1980s, beaujolais has vanished from the limelight for nearly 40 years. Now it is back, but why the change of fortune and what’s the big deal?
This year’s vintage has been cited as one of the finest in 50 years. The hot, dry summer resulted in an extremely high-quality harvest, which translates into a lip-smacking crowd-pleaser. Try Morrisons Beaujolais Nouveau 2018, £6.
Gamay comes in many guises with wide appeal It’s not just one grape fits all: the wine-growing area of Beaujolais (south of Burgundy) creates a vast range of wines, with great value for money and easydrinking styles, such as beaujolais and beaujolaisvillages, to the 10 prestigious beaujolais crus, which are very special wines indeed.
The wines taste terrific with food
If you compare gamay with other red grapes, it has the fewest tannins, which means the delicate florals, bright fruitiness and earthy notes complement an array of dishes. And because there’s moderate acidity, you can serve beaujolais with sweetand-sour salmon, roast chicken, recipes with winter flavours and even blue cheese. More complex wines can be paired with richer foods such as black pudding.