布根第葡萄酒

有關葡萄酒詳細參見葡萄酒。有關法國葡萄酒詳細參見法國葡萄酒。

布根第葡萄酒產區圖

布根第（Burgundy、Bourgogne）地處夏季溫和冬季寒冷的大陸型氣候帶。大部分的布根第產葡萄酒都是由夏多内（Chardonnay）釀造的白酒和由黑皮諾（Pinot Noir）釀造的紅酒。儘管也有如加美（Gamay）和阿里高蝶（Aligoté）的葡萄酒但還不是主流。另外還生産少部分的玫瑰紅及氣泡酒。布根第有相當悠久的葡萄酒傳統，累計至1999年布根第已經有近百個AOC產區，是全法國之冠。

地理及氣候

布根第的葡萄產區北起歐塞爾南至瑪恭（如果把薄酒萊地區囊括就向南延伸到里昂）。用來釀造夏布利（Chablis）的白葡萄夏多内（Chardonnay）就是生長在歐塞爾附近。夏布利往南一點則是生産布根第最負盛名並最昂貴的葡萄酒的金丘（Côte d'Or）區，金丘分爲兩個部分，夜丘（Côte de Nuits）區從第戒以南蔓延20公里到高構鑾（在夜·聖喬治南部），而伯恩丘（Côte de Beaune）則是從拉德延伸到Dezize-les-Maranges。位於布根第心臟部分的產酒區只有40公里長，且大部分地區寬度低於2公里。此區中許多小村莊圍繞著大片的葡萄園。最好的“Grand Cru”酒就是生産於區中中、高山坡，以得到更好的日照。夜丘擁有24個（總共25個）紅Grand Cru酒的名稱，而伯恩丘擁有所有白Grand Cru酒的名稱。再往南是夏隆内丘（Côte Chalonnaise）。雖然諸如Mercurey、Rully和Givry等的名氣沒有與他們相似的金丘地區大，但是夏隆内也是既有紅酒也有白酒的產區。繼續往下接著來到馬貢内（Mâconnais），馬貢内以大量生産、易飲用、價格較便宜的白葡萄酒著稱。而位於布根第葡萄酒產區最南的便是薄酒來（Beaujolais），獨樹一格的薄酒來生產著加美製造的水果紅酒。

布根第擁有冬天非常寒冷乾燥、夏天非常炎熱的大陸型氣候特徵。這樣的天氣非常適合夏多内與黑皮諾的成長，可同時保留細緻的程度和葡萄的成熟度。初秋的九月雨水較少，有利葡萄最後的成熟，但十月份的天氣較不穩定，冰雹、暴雨、霜凍和一些天災與收穫期距離都不遠，這使得布根第年份間的品質有很大差異。夏布利是布根第氣溫最低的葡萄產區，導致黑皮諾難以成熟，還好這裡的夏天非常炎熱可以讓夏多内葡萄更快的成熟，但是四、五月常有春霜危害剛發芽的葡萄，所以夏布利的酒莊一般具備防霜設備，包括燒煤油燈、用巨型風扇吹散冷空氣及噴水都是有效的方法。金丘北部的夜丘區是全球緯度最高的頂級紅葡萄酒產區，能在這樣的地區產出高品質的葡萄酒靠的是大陸型氣候炎熱的夏季和乾燥的冬季，以及黑皮諾對本地氣候與土壤的適應。再加上面東和向南山坡有較長的日照時間，產區也幾乎沒有河流經過。伯恩區的溫度比夜丘稍高一點，使得伯恩區的葡萄可以早一週左右成熟，但因爲近年來溫度逐漸升高，兩地的差距也就縮小了。南部的馬貢内區則靠地中海帶來溫暖的影響往往是葡萄最早收成的地方。

歷史

西元一到三世紀時羅馬人佔領了布根第之後引進葡萄的種植，開始了布根第釀造葡萄酒的歷史。布根第位於古羅馬人從隆河谷地到沙翁河谷的經商路線上，而在布依利山腳下的葡萄園是當時羅馬人和摩貢人最喜愛的葡萄園。現存最早的對布根第葡萄園的介紹是一份西元312年時的講稿，其中説到當時在伯恩及尼依·聖喬治地區有許多葡萄園。

西元十世紀左右所有的土地及葡萄園都屬於貴族和教會。擁有葡萄園的修道院除了生産葡萄酒外還對葡萄的種植與釀造技術進行了一些研究。同時教會開創了莊園（climat）的觀念，指的是在一定的範圍内可以生産出風格各異的葡萄酒，再因這些特殊葡萄園通常都有石墻圍繞，便成爲布根第聞名的clos（被石墻圍繞的葡萄園）。而這些現在則成爲布根第葡萄園最別緻的特色。

十四世紀時，屬法國瓦洛王朝分支的第一位布根第公爵菲利普因迎娶了法蘭德斯的繼承人瑪格芮特公主而接收了包括法蘭德斯在内的許多土地。公爵以華麗的宮廷和文藝鼎盛的風格受到矚目，布根第葡萄酒也藉此聲名遠播。在十四世紀末到十五世紀的這段黃金時期中歷任的四位公爵將布根第建設成強大的公國，布根第葡萄酒也隨此成爲全歐最著名的葡萄酒。歷任公爵對葡萄酒的品質也有許多貢獻，如果說修道院的修士為布根第葡萄酒打下基礎，那公爵就是將它們變成高質量的商品、成爲流行風潮的要角。

到了十八世紀，由於道路系統的建設及玻璃瓶的普遍化使布根第的葡萄酒有能力銷往更遠的地區。在此時傳統的銷售方法已經不再能滿足需要，因而出現了布根第的酒商，他們購買葡萄酒並窖藏、銷售，成爲布根第酒業中不可缺少的一環。

布根第的葡萄酒在過去的一世紀中經歷了許多。二戰結束後的1930年代經濟蕭條、葡萄園也遭受了強烈的破壞，葡萄園的土地和植株極度需要照料，於是葡萄農開始試圖把他們的葡萄園恢復成曾經的狀態，那些有能力的便在土地中加入可以幫助葡萄成長的鉀，直到1950年代中期土地才得以復原，雖然產值非常的稀少但是在那個時期也有不少質量非常高的葡萄酒。不過葡萄酒農並沒有警惕到什麽是不能做的，在之後的30年他們遵照某些葡萄種植學家的建議在園内噴灑化肥及過多的鉀，導致土壤呈現弱酸性而嚴重影響到酒的質量。隨著化學物質在土壤中的濃度增加，產量也提升了。在這個30年中產量增加了三分之二，但是高產量產地的酒反而變得缺少風格和濃度，布根第葡萄酒因爲葡萄農過渡依賴化學產品和科學技術而使得原來的美譽幾乎消失殆盡。

1985到1995可以說是一個轉折點。布根第的葡萄酒製造者開始了新的努力，他們建立起新的栽種方法，培育出更複雜、有深度的葡萄酒。今天的布根第葡萄酒業已開始收穫這份努力的回報。

特徵與分類

布根第葡萄酒可以說是法國葡萄酒中最重視風土條件的，它們聚焦於葡萄的產地和葡萄生長的400多種土質。與波爾多葡萄酒側重釀酒師並授予個別酒莊相對的，布根第的分類較注重地理因素。特殊的葡萄園會背負另外的名稱但是往往與釀酒師關係不大。這可以從布根第酒標上名稱很醒目但釀酒師的名字卻只出現在下方的小字上體現出來。

在布根第最普遍的分級方法是依照質量依次分成：特級葡萄園（Grand cru）AOC法定產區、一級葡萄園（Premier cru）AOC法定產區、村莊級（Commune or Village）AOC法定產區及地方性AOC法定產區。而布根第下的夏布利及薄酒來產區有其獨自的分級制，將在下面詳述。

特級葡萄園是最高級的法定產區，僅保留給產自最頂級葡萄園的佳釀（總共33產區中32個在金丘、1個在夏布利）。特級葡萄園的產量只有總量的2%也就是3500公升/公頃。通常特級葡萄園酒酒精濃度紅酒在11.5%~14.5%之間；白酒則是12%~14.5%（夏布利的則是11%~13%）。這些酒的適飲時間必須最短5~7年，最好的產品可以保存超過15年。世界上只有極少數的夏多内和黑皮諾酒可以在5~7年後還保持並變得更醇美。特級葡萄園等級的酒不是以村莊名命名而是在酒標直接冠上生産該酒的葡萄園名稱，諸如高登（Corton）、蒙哈榭（Montrachet）和香貝丹（Chambertin）等。

一級葡萄園是被公認具有獨特風味和優異品質的葡萄園，儘管還比不上特級葡萄園。一級葡萄園的產量約是總量的12%即4500公升/公頃，一般一級葡萄園酒酒精濃度紅酒在11%~14%之間；白酒則是11.5%~14.5%。這些酒的年齡至少要有3~5年。一級葡萄園等級的酒標上要有其村莊以及葡萄園的名字（如果是混合產自多個村内一級葡萄園釀成的葡萄酒僅能在村名之後標上一級葡萄園Premier cru而不標葡萄園的名字），比如香波·密思尼村的愛慕赫斯（Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses）和玻瑪村的乎吉安（Pommard-Rugiens）。

村莊級包括一個村莊範圍内數個葡萄園的混合酒或某較小單一葡萄園的葡萄酒。其產量有總量的36%也就是約5000公升/公頃，一般村莊級酒酒精濃度紅酒在10.5%~13.5%之間；白酒則是11%~14%。這些酒大部分在2~4年内最適合飲用。村莊級的法定產區是挑選出一些位置好、產酒條件佳且長年來生產出品質出衆富有其村莊特色的地區。村莊級酒的酒標上會有其村莊名（有時候也有生產的單一葡萄園名），諸如Pommard、Mercurey等（某些村莊級AOC如Chablis雖然以單一村名命名但產區範圍其實含蓋了週邊的村莊），個別村莊還會加上該村莊中特級葡萄園的名字在村莊名後，例如Puligny-Montrachet或Aloxe-Corton。

布根第AOC產區包括了布根第任何地方生産出的葡萄酒。它的產量有5500公升/公頃，一般酒酒精濃度紅酒在10%~13%之間；白酒則是10.5%~13.5%。這些酒大部分最久能保存3年。地方性產區的酒標都會包含布根第的法文Bourgogne，但分爲很多類型。例如以葡萄品種為名的Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOC（可以在黑皮諾酒中加入最多三分之二的加美酒）及利用阿里哥蝶葡萄釀造的布根第·阿里哥蝶（Bourgogne Aligoté）、依釀造法命名的布根第氣泡酒（Crémant de Bourgogne）、依酒的顔色命名的布根第玫瑰紅（Bourgogne Rosé）、依產區位置得名的馬貢内（Mâconnais）和以出產村莊命名的如布根第·野皮諾伊（Bourgogne Epineuil）。根據Franson的調查這複雜的分類甚至讓大部分法國人都搞不清楚，像夏布利的酒標就與特級葡萄園、一級葡萄園及村莊級相似然薄酒來的標示卻具另一種風格。

產區

夏布利（Chablis）

夏布利位於伯恩以北100英里的瑟恩河河畔，是一片和緩的丘陵地，比其他布根第酒區接近香檳區，區内的特級葡萄園都坐落在北部的一小塊區域中。因爲位置偏北（48°N）、氣候寒冷，夏布利以口感清新、不酸澀、水果味較淡、酸味高的夏多内葡萄酒聞名。區内特有的啟莫里階石灰質土，讓典型的夏布利白酒常帶有獨特的礦石與檸檬香氣，時常被評爲是堅硬的（flinty），有時候被説是goût de pierre à fusil（槍擊碎石），是搭配生蠔和海鮮的良伴，也是不錯的開胃酒。在夏布利的人稱夏多内為Beaunois，意思是從伯恩來的葡萄。夏布利的白葡萄酒釀造好之後並不貯存於橡木桶而是使用酒槽，一般提到Un-oaked Chardonnay（沒有經過橡木桶的夏多内）最容易讓人聯想到的就是夏布利白酒，但事實上區内也有不少白葡萄酒都是經過橡木桶陳熟的。

1970年代，新世界的葡萄酒生産者將他們的酒標上夏布利之名，導致後來無論什麽葡萄、哪裏製造的乾白葡萄酒都可以被稱爲夏布利。經過法國政府的施壓和名稱的變化這種“半一般區命名”才漸漸消失。

歷史

夏布利與其葡萄酒的故事就好像輪迴般總在重建、摧毀中徘徊。

夏布利的葡萄種植是在羅馬時期或更早開始的。就像別處一樣，在黑暗時代修道院致力於推廣和發展葡萄酒業，而接近歐塞爾注定讓他們容易進入巴黎的市場。有歷史記錄指出在15世紀中葉夏布利的酒就開始運送到英格蘭、法蘭德斯和Picardy。但自1568年2月受到雨格諾教徒侵入之後直到18世紀還沒有完全恢復。然而法國大革命、小冰期和普魯士人的侵害接連到來，才重建沒有多久的葡萄園又在1880年受到發黴的刺激，然後是葡萄芽蟲害。

在1930年代葡萄園終於恢復並達到每年生産16萬箱酒的程度時，又在受到第二次世界大戰的洗禮，在1945年只能勉強產出5千箱。1949年產量回到10萬箱時破壞葡萄園的霜柱在1957和1961連續發生，有不少葡萄園就沒有再開業了。

分級

夏布利的AOC分級是在1938年1月13日發佈的，不過其下屬的小夏布利等級直到1944年1月5日才開始。夏布利的葡萄園按照土壤及斜坡的不同被分爲四類。

小夏布利（Petit Chablis）：自然條件較差如產於過平的坡面或小山腳下的葡萄園，味道最輕淡的此類葡萄酒可以以較便宜的價格買到。

夏布利（Chablis）：此等級佔有大部分的土地。主要位於面南的低坡或其他方位較差的坡面的中等斜坡。因爲範圍較廣，夏布利有多種口味的夏多内葡萄酒，但通常果味豐富、口感清新。

一級葡萄園（Chablis Premier Cru）： 佔地750公頃，產量只有有限的5000公升/公頃，遍佈於瑟恩河的兩岸，多數坡地面朝西南或東南，主要的區域在小鎮的西南，也就是河域的左岸，但較好的會在特級葡萄園的右面。生産一級葡萄園的葡萄園有79座，水準與風格差異很大，包括Fourchaume、Montée de Tonnerre、Mont de Milieu是最出名的一級葡萄園，有相當高的水準和夏布利招牌的礦石味。

特級葡萄園（Chablis Grand Cru）：佔地100公頃，產量限制在4500公升/公頃。是最高等級的葡萄酒，產在最好的坡，全部產地都在瑟恩河右岸的一小塊區域。不同的特級葡萄園酒位在緊鄰的三塊小鎮北部地區。生産特級葡萄園酒的葡萄園有Bougros、Les Preuses、Vaudésir、Grenouilles、Valmur、Les Clos、Blanchot七座。該酒具有非常強勁的細緻口感，酸味高、口感厚實，適合貯存多年後飲用。

夜丘（Côte de Nuits）

夜丘位於金丘的南部，是負有盛名的布根第紅酒產區。葡萄園從第戒往南延綿20公里，僅有的3300公頃葡萄園大部分分佈於面東的向陽坡地上，少數面東南或東北。此區的底土是沙混石灰岩土壤，表面覆蓋著石灰、泥灰及黏土，在坡度高處有時候會發現紅黏土，低處則有豐富的沖積土壤。

夜丘區内相連的幾個小村莊都是聞名國際的獨立AOC產區。其中折維瑞·香貝丹（Gevrey-Chambertin）、摩黑·聖丹尼（Morey-Saint-Denis）、和夜·聖喬治（Nuits-Saint-Georges）等村莊以酒色深紅、黑色漿果香濃郁、酒香豐富多變、口感強勁有力、單寧較

在上面分級詳述的地方AOC中有Côte de Nuits Villages，包括5個小村莊：北部的Fixin、Brochon；南部的Comblanchien、Corgoloin和Prissey；Hautes-Côtes de Nuits是對夜·聖喬治西面坡葡萄酒的稱呼 。

接著是村莊級，村莊並沒有嚴格的限制在一定分割線，比如爲人熟知的北部Marsannay名稱就包括了Marsannay-la-Côte及Couchey、Chênove的一部分。

伯恩丘（Côte de Beaune）

The Côte de Beaune area is the southern part of the Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is home to the great names of Burgundy wine. The Côte de Beaune starts between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune, and extends southwards for about 25km to the River Dheune. The trend of producing red wines continues from the Côte de Nuits to the north, down through Beaune, although the wines become lighter and more perfumed. Further south lie the great names of white Burgundy such as Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet. The far south of the district sees a return to red wines in Santenay that continues across the Dheune into the Côte Chalonnaise. This mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes reflects geology in the southern Côte d'Or that is more variable than in the north.

Appellations

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Wine label from Savigny

The Burgundy wine article explains the local classifications in more detail. Above the basic AOC Bourgogne lies Côte de Beaune Villages, a general appellation for wines from one or more of 16 villages in the district excluding Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay and Beaune. Four vineyards on a hill above Beaune get the confusing designation of Côte de Beaune. The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune are a separate appellation for the hills to the west of Beaune.

Individual 'village' appellations are the next step up, followed by the Premiers Crus, which roughly correspond to individual vineyards that aren't good enough for Grand Cru status. "Premier Cru" on its own refers to a blend from several premier cru vineyards, wine made from just one location will say "Premier Cru" followed by the name of the vineyard.

The "Cortons" in Aloxe-Corton are the only Grand Cru red wines in the district. The same commume has one of the great white wines in the Grand Cru of Corton-Charlemagne (which extends into Pernand and Ladoix), whilst the Montrachet family of Grand Crus are further south, split between Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.

夏隆内丘（Côte Chalonnaise）

The Côte Chalonnaise area lies to the south of the Côte d'Or continuing the same geology southward. It is still in the main area of Burgundy wine production however, it includes no Grands crus. Like the Côte d'Or, it is at the western edge of the broad valley of the river Saône, on the rising ground overlooking the town of Chalon-sur-Saône which is six kilometres or so out into the plain. To the north, across the River Dheune, lies the Côte de Beaune. To the south is the Mâconnais.

The wine-producing communes of the Côte Chalonnaise are from the north, Bouzeron, Rully, Mercurey, Givry, Buxy, and Montagny. They grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in vineyards spread over a stretch of 25 kilometres long and 7 kilometres wide of undulating land in which vineyards are interspersed with orchards and other forms of farming.

• Buzeron is the only communal AOC for Aligote still wine.
• Rully is known for its white wines and as a center for Crémant and Bourgogne sparkling wines; it has 23 premier cru vineyards.
• Mercurey is the largest volume producer of the area and production is nearly all red; it has 30 premier cru vineyards.
• Givry is mostly red wines and had 17 premier cru vineyards.
• Montagny produces only white wines and has 49 premier cru vineyards.

馬貢内（Mâconnais）

The Mâconnais district lies in the south of the Burgundy wine region in France, west of the River Saône. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; the wines from Pouilly-Fuissé are particularly sought-after.

Style

Almost all the wine made in the Mâconnais is white wine. Chardonnay is the main grape grown, in fact there is a village of that name in the far north of the region. It makes elegant wines for relatively early drinking, not as full-bodied as the great names of white Burgundy but with a much friendlier price tag.

A little Pinot Noir is made into red Mâcon but only for local consumption. Gamay is grown in the Beaujolais cru of Moulin-à-Vent which extends into the Mâconnais, but has little in common with the wines north of the border.

Unlike northern Burgundy, most of the wine is made by cooperatives, which are generally pretty reliable.

Geography

The geology is similar to that of the Côte d'Or, but the gentle relief means that that vines are mixed with other forms of farming in most of the area. In the south the land rises up to form Mont de Pouilly and other limestone hills, covered in the alkaline clay that best suits Chardonnay. The villages of Vergisson, Solutré-Pouilly, Fuissé and Chaintré shelter at their feet, and are home to the best wines of the region.

History

模板:See also Mâcon was a major crossroads in Roman times, and grapes would have been brought by the Romans if they were not already cultivated by the Celts. Viticulture was further encouraged by local religious foundations; the province was dominated by the bishopric of Mâcon during the Dark Ages.

The region formed the border between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire from 843-1600 and grew rich on customs duties in that time. A secular Count of Mâcon is not recorded until after 850, from 926 the countship became hereditary. The last Count of Mâcon and of Vienne died in 1224 and the lands passed to his daughter, Alix de Bourgogne (Alice of Burgundy); when her husband died in 1239, she sold the Mâconnais to Louis IX of France. The 1435 Treaty of Arras saw Charles VII of France cede it to Philip, Duke of Burgundy, but in 1477 it reverted to France, upon the death of duke Charles the Bold. Emperor Charles V definitively recognized the Mâconnais as French at the Treaty of Cambrai in 1529.

Appellations

• Mâcon is the basic appellation - you will seldom see "Mâconnais" on a bottle.
• Mâcon-Villages is a step up.
• Mâcon-Prissé and similar names with a village name appended, should be better still.
• Pouilly-Fuissé is the star of the region, with its junior partners Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles.

You used to see Mâcon-Viré and Mâcon-Clessé, but these two villages in the far north of the region have recently been awarded their own appellation of Viré-Clessé.

Another recent appellation is Saint-Véran, which covers most of the Chardonnay vineyards that used to make white Beaujolais, in the commune of St Vérand. St Véran and white Beaujolais may be regarded as southern extensions of the Mâconnais, they both make some good-value Chardonnay wines.

薄酒來（Beaujolais）

Beaujolais is a historical province and French wine producing region. It is located north of Lyon, and covers parts of the north of the Rhône département (Rhône-Alpes) and parts of the south of the Saône-et-Loire département (Burgundy). While administratively considered part of the Burgundy wine region, the climate is closer to the Rhône and the wine is unique enough to be considered separately from Burgundy and Rhône. The region is known internationally for its long tradition of winemaking, uniquely emphasized the use of carbonic maceration, and more recently for the popular Beaujolais nouveau. Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and few tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes though Aligoté is also permitted. Beaujolais tends to be a very light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity. In some vintages, Beaujolais produces more wine than the Burgundy wine regions of Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais put together.

History

The region of Beaujolais was first cultivated by the Romans who planted the areas along its trading route up the Saône valley. The most notable Roman vineyard was Brulliacus located on the hillside of Mont Brouilly. The Romans also planted vineyards in the area Morgon. From the 7th century through the Middle Ages, most of the viticulture and winemaking was done by the Benedictine monks. In the 10th century, the region got its name from the town of Beaujeu, Rhône and was ruled by the Lords of Beaujeu till the 15th century when it was ceded to the Duchy of Burgundy. The wines from Beaujolais were mostly confined to the markets along the Saône and Rhône rivers, particularly in the town of Lyon. The expansion of the French railroad system in the 19th century opened up the lucrative Paris market. The first mention of Beaujolais wines in English followed soon after when Cyrus Redding described the wines of Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour as being low priced and best consumed young.

In the 1980s, Beaujolais hit a peak of popularity in the world's wine market with its Beaujolais nouveau wine. Spurred on by the creative marketing from négociants like Georges Duboeuf, demand outpaced supply for the easy drinking, fruity wines. As more Beaujolais producers tried to capitalize on the "Nouveau craze", production of regular Beaujolais dropped and a eventual backlash occurred in the late the 1990s and early 21st century. By this point, the whole of Beaujolais wine had developed a negative reputation among consumers who associated Gamay based wines with the slightly sweet, simple light bodied wines that characterized Beaujolais Nouveau. Producers were left with a wine lake surplus that French authorities compelled them to reduce through mandatory distillation. In response, there has been renewed emphasis on the production of more complex wines that are aged longer in oak barrels prior to release. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of terroir driven estate-bottled wines made from single vineyards or in one of the Cru Beaujolais communes, where the name of the commune is allowed to be displayed on the label.

The Gamay grape

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When Philippe the Bold outlawed the cultivation of Gamay in Burgundy, it pushed the grape south to the Beaujolais region.

The Gamay grape is thought to be a mutant of the Pinot Noir, which first appeared in the village of Gamay, south of Beaune, in the 1360s. The grape brought relief to the village growers following the decline of the Black Death. In contrast to the Pinot Noir variety, Gamay ripened two weeks earlier and was less difficult to cultivate. It also produced a strong, fruitier wine in a much larger abundance. In July 1395, the Duke of Burgundy Philippe the Bold outlawed the cultivation of Gamay as being "a very bad and disloyal plant"-due in part to the variety occupying land that could be used for the more "elegant" Pinot Noir. 60 years later, Philippe the Good, issued another edict against Gamay in which he stated the reasoning for the ban is that "The Dukes of Burgundy are known as the lords of the best wines in Christendom. We will maintain our reputation". The edicts had the affect of pushing Gamay plantings southward, out of the main region of Burgundy and into the granite based soils of Beaujolais where the grape thrived.

Climate and geography

Beaujolais is a large wine producing region, about twice the size of the US state of Rhode Island and larger than any single district of Burgundy. There is over 50,000 acres (20,234 hectares) of vines planted in a 34 mile (55 kilometer) stretch of land that between 7 to 9 miles wide (11 to 14 km). The historical capital of the province is Beaujeu (Bôjor /Biôjœr in Arpitan) and the economic capital of the area is Villefranche-sur-Saône (Velafranche). Many of Beaujolais vineyards are found in the hillside on the outskirt of Lyons in the eastern portion of the region along the Saône valley. The Massif Central is located to the west and has a tempering influence on Beaujolais' climate. The region is located south of the Burgundy wine region Mâconnais with nearly 100 communes in the northern region of Beaujolais overlapping between the AOC boundaries Beaujolais and the Maconnais region of Saint-Véran.

The climate of Beaujolais is semi-continental with some temperate influences. The close proximately of the Mediterranean Sea does impart some Mediterranean influence on the climate. The region is overall, warmer than Burgundy with vintages more consistently ripening the grapes fully. By the time that the Beaujolais Nouveau is released in late November, the foothills in the western regions will have normally seen snow. A common viticultural hazard is spring time frost.

The soils of Beaujolais divide the region into a northern and southern half, with the town of Villefranche serving as a near dividing point. The northern half of Beaujolais, where most of the Cru Beaujolais communes are located, includes rolling hills of schist and granite based soils with some limestone. On hillsides, most of the granite and schist is found in the upper slopes with the lower slopes having more stone and clay composition. The southern half of the region, also known as the Bas Beaujolais, has more flatter terrain with richer, sandstone and clay based soils with some limestone patches. The Gamay grape fares differently in both regions-producing more structured, complex wines in the north and more lighter, fruity wines in the south. The angle of the hillside vineyards in the north exposes the grapes to more sunshine which leads to harvest at an early time than the vineyards in the south.

Appellations

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A bottle of Beaujolais-Villages blanc made from Chardonnay & Aligote.

There are twelve main appellations of Beaujolais wines covering the production of more than 96 villages in the Beaujolais region. They were originally established in 1936, with additional crus being promoted in 1938 and 1946, plus Régnié in 1988. About half of all Beaujolais wine is sold under the basic Beaujolais AOC designation. The majority of this wine is produced in the southern Bas Beaujolais region located around the town of Belleville. The minimum alcohol level for these wines is 10%. If the grapes are harvested a little later, or the wine is subjected to chaptalization, to get the alcohol up to 10.5% the wine maybe labeled as Beaujolais Supérieur. The only difference between basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais Supérieur is this slight increase in alcohol.

• Beaujolais AOC is the most extended appellation covering 60 villages, and refers to all basic Beaujolais wines. It implies a minimum alcohol of just 9%; Beaujolais Supérieur implies wine with more than 10% alcohol. A large portion of the wine produced under this appellation is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau. The maximum yield for this AOC is 55 hl/ha (3.1 tons/acre). Annually, this appellation averages around 75 millions bottles a year in production.

• Beaujolais-Villages AOC, the intermediate category in terms of classification, covers 39 communes/villages in the Haut Beaujolais, the northern part of the region accounting for a quarter of production. Some is sold as Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau, but it is not common. Most of the wines are released in the following March after the harvest. The terrain of this region is hillier with more schist and granite soil composition than what is found in the regions of the Beaujolais AOC and the wine has the potential to be of higher quality. If the grapes come from the area of a single vineyard or commune, producers can affix the name of their particular village to the Beaujolais-Villages designation. Since most of the villages of Beaujolais, outside of those classified as Cru Beaujolais, villages have little international name recognitions most producers choose to maintain the Beaujolais-Villages designation. The maximum permitted yields for this AOC is 50 hl/ha. These wines are meant to be consumed young, within two years of their harvest. Several of the communes in the Beaujolais-Villages AOC also qualify to produce their wines under the Mâconnais and Saint-Véran AOCs. The Beaujolais producers that producer a red wine under the Beaujolais-Villages appellation will often producer their white wine under the more internationally recognized names of Mâcon-Villages or Saint-Véran.

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Cru Beaujolais region of Régnié

• Cru Beaujolais, the highest category of classification in Beaujolais, account for the production within ten villages/areas in the foothills of the Beaujolais mountains. Unlike Burgundy and Alsace, the phrase cru in Beaujolais refers to entire wine producing area rather than an individual vineyard. Seven of the Crus relate to actual villages while Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly refer to the vineyards areas around Mont Brouilly and Moulin-à-Vent is named for a local windmill. These wines do not usually show the word "Beaujolais" on the label, in an attempt to separate themselves from mass-produced Nouveau; in fact vineyards in the cru villages are not allowed to produce Nouveau. The maximum yields for Cru Beaujolais wine is 48 hl/ha. Their wines can be more full-bodied, darker in color, and significantly longer-lived. From north to south the Beaujolais crus are- Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly.

• Beaujolais Blanc & Beaujolais Rosé - A small amount of white wine made from Chardonnay or Aligote is grown in the region and used to produce Beaujolais Blanc or Beaujolais-Villages Blanc. The vineyards to produces these wines are normally found in the limestone soils of the far northern extremities of the region. Part of the reason for the small production of these wines is that many of the vineyards overlap into the Mâconnais regions and producers will usually choose to label their wines under the more marketable and well known Mâcon Blanc designation. There is also regulations in several Beaujolais communes restricting growers to dedicating no more than 10% of their vineyard space to white wine grape varieties. Beaujolais Rosé made from Gamay is permitted in the Beaujolais AOC but is rarely produced.

Beaujolais Crus

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Bottle of Côte de Brouilly wine.

The ten Beaujolais Crus differ in character. The following three crus produce the lightest bodied Cru Beaujolais and are typically meant to be consumed within three years of the vintage.

• Brouilly - The largest Cru in Beaujolais, situated around Mont Brouilly and contains within its boundaries the sub-district of Côte de Brouilly. The wines are noted for their aromas of blueberries, cherries, raspberries and currants. Along with Côte de Brouilly, this is the only Cru Beaujolais region that permits grapes other than Gamay to be produced in the area with vineyards growing Chardonnay, Aligote and Melon de Bourgogne as well. The Brouilly cru also contains the famous Pisse Vieille vineyard (roughly translated as "piss old woman!") which received it name from a local legend of a devout Catholic woman who misheard the local priest's absolution to "Allez! Et ne péchez plus." (Go! And sin no more.) as "Allez! Et ne pissez plus." (Go! And piss no more). The vineyard name is the admonishment that her husband gave to her upon learning of the priest's words.
• Régnié - The most recently recognized Cru, graduating from a Beaujolais-Villages area to Cru Beaujolais in 1988. One of the more fuller bodied crus in this categories. It is noted for its red currant and raspberry flavors. Local lore in the region states that this Cru was the site of the first vineyards planted in Beaujolais by the Romans.
• Chiroubles - This cru has vineyards at some of the highest altitudes among the Cru Beaujolais. Chiroubles cru are noted for their delicate perfume that often includes aromas of violets.

The next three crus produce more medium bodied Cru Beaujolais that Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan recommend needs at least a year aging in the bottle and to be consumed within fours years of the vintage.

• Côte de Brouilly - Located on the higher slopes of the extinct volcano Mont Brouilly within the Brouilly Cru Beaujolais. The wines from this region are more deeply concentrated with less earthiness than Brouilly wine.
• Fleurie - One of the most widely exported Cru Beaujolais into the United States. These wines often have a velvet texture with fruity and floral bouquet. In ideal vintages, a vin de garde (wine for aging) is produced that is meant to age at least four years before consuming and can last up to 16 years.
• Saint-Amour - Local lore suggest that this region was named after a Roman soldier (St. Amateur) who converted to Christianity after escaping death and established a mission near the area. The wines from Saint-Amour are noted for their spicy flavors with aromas of peaches. The vin de garde wines require at least four year aging and can last up to twelve years.

The last four crus produce the fullest bodied examples of Cru Beaujolais that need the most time aging in the bottle and are usually meant to be consumed between four to ten years after harvest.

• Chénas - Once contained many of the vineyards that are now sold under the Moulin-à-Vent designation. It is now the smallest Cru Beaujolais with wines that are noted for their aroma of wild roses. In ideal vintages, a vin de garde is produced that is meant to age at least five years before consuming and last up to 15. The area named is derived from the forest of French oak trees (chêne) that use to dot the hillside.
• Juliénas-This cru is based around the village named after Julius Caesar. The wines made from this area are noted for their richness and spicy with aromas reminiscent of peonies. In contrast to the claims of Régnié, Juliénas growers believe that this area was the site of the first vineyards planted in Beaujolais by the Romans during this conquest of Gaul.
• Morgon - Produces earthy wines that can take on a Burgundian character of silky texture after five years aging. These wines are generally the deepest color and most rich Cru Beaujolais with aromas of apricots and peaches. Within this Cru there is a particular hillside, known as Mont du Py, in the center of Morgon that produces the most powerful examples of Morgon wines.
• Moulin-à-Vent - Wines are very similar to the nearby Chénas Cru Beaujolais. This region produces some of the longest lasting examples of Beaujolais wine, with some wines lasting up to ten years. Some producers will age their Moulin-à-Vent in oak which gives these wines more tannin and structure than other Beaujolais wines. The phrase fûts de chêne (oak casks) will sometimes appear on the wine label of these oak aged wines. The region is noted for the high level of manganese that is in the soil, which can be toxic to grape vines in high levels. The level of toxicity in Moulin-à-Vent does not kill the vine but is enough to cause chlorosis and alter the vine's metabolism to severely reduce yields. The resulting wine from Moulin-à-Vent are the most full bodied and powerful examples in Beaujolais. The vin de garde styles require at least 6 years aging and can last up to 20 years.

Beaujolais Nouveau

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Beaujolais Nouveau is often packaged in colorful bottles that play into the festival marketing of the wine.

The early history of Beaujolais Nouveau can trace its roots to 19th century when the first wines of the vintage were sent down the Saône to the early bistros of Lyon. Upon their arrival signs would be put out proclaiming "Le Beaujolais Est Arrivé!" and its consumption was seen as a celebration of another successful harvest. In the 1960s, this style of simple Beaujolais became increasingly popular worldwide with more than half a million cases of being sold. In 1985 the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) established the 3rd Thursday of November to allow for a uniform released date for the wine. Wines are typically a shipped a few days earlier to locations around the world where they must be held in a bonded warehouse till 12:01 AM when they wines can be first opened and consumed.

Today, about a third of the region's production is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, a marketing name created by George Duboeuf for the local vin de l'année. It is the lightest, fruitiest style of Beaujolais and meant for simple quaffing. Any Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages AOC vineyard can produce Beaujolais Nouveau. The grapes are harvested between late August and early September. It is fermented for just a few days and released to the public on the 3rd Thursday of November - "Beaujolais Nouveau Day". It is the first French wine to be released for each vintage year. At its peak in 1992, more than half the wine of all Beaujolais wine was sold as "Beaujolais Nouveau". The wines are meant to be drunk as young as possible, when they are at their freshest and fruitiest. They can last up to one or two years but will have lost its most of it characteristic flavors by that point.

Viticulture and grape varieties

The Beaujolais region has one of the highest vine density ratio of any major, worldwide wine region with anywhere from 9000 to 13,000 vines per hectare. Most vines are trained in the traditional goblet style where the spurs of the vines are pushed upwards and arranged in a circle, resembling a chalice. This method has its roots in the Roman style of vine training and has only recently begun to fall out of favor for the guyot method which involves taking a single or double spur and training it out horizontally. Harvest usual occurs in late September and is almost universally done by hand rather than with the use of mechanical harvesters. This is because the Beaujolais wine making style of carbonic maceration utilizes whole bunches of grapes clusters that normally get broken and separated by a mechanical harvester.

The Gamay grape, more accurately known as Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc to distinguish it from the Gamay teinturier grapes with red juice and different from the Napa Gamay and the Gamay Beaujolais grapes of California, is the most widely planted grape in Beaujolais accounting for nearly 98% of all plantings. The remaining plantings are mostly Chardonnay. Aligote vines that were planted prior to 2004 are permitted in wine production but the entire grape variety is being phased out of the region by 2024. According to AOC regulation, up to 15% of white wine grape varieties can be included in all Beaujolais red wines from the basic Beaujolais AOC to the Cru Beaujolais wines but in practice the wines are almost always 100% Gamay. Pinot noir, which has very small plantings, is also permitted but that grape is being phased out by 2015 as Beaujolais winemakers continued to focus their winemaking identity on the Gamay grape. The characteristics that the Gamay grapes adds to Beaujolais is bluish-red deep color with low acidity, moderate tannins and light to medium body. The aromas associated with the grape itself is typically red berries.

Since the 1960s, more focus has been placed on the choice of rootstocks and clonal selection with six approved clones of Gamay for the wine region. In recent years the rootstock Vialla has gained popularity due to its propensity to produce well in granite soils. The SO4 and 3309 rootstocks also account for significant plantings. Clonal selections of the Gamay grape has shifted towards an emphasis on smaller, thicker skinned berries.

Winemaking and style

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Beaujolais nouveau

Beaujolais wines are produced by the winemaking technique of semi-carbonic maceration. Whole grape clusters are put in cement or stainless steel tanks with capacities between 40-300 hectoliters (1,056 to 7,920 gallons). The bottom third of the grapes gets crushed under the weight of gravity and resulting must begins normal yeast fermentation with ambient yeasts found naturally on the skins of the grapes. Carbon dioxide is released as a by product of this fermentation and begins the saturate the individual, intact grape berries that remain in the barrel. The carbon dioxide seeps into the skin of the grape and begin to stimulate fermentation at an intracellular level. This is caused, in part, because of the absence of oxygen in the winemaking environment. This results in a fruity wine without much tannin. In the case of Beaujolais nouveau, this process is completed in as little as four days with the other AOCs being allowed longer time to ferment. As the grapes ferment longer, they develop more tannins and a fuller body.

After fermentation, the must is normally high in malic acid and producers will put the wine through malolactic fermentation to soften the wine. The process of chaptalization, adding sugar to the grape must to boost alcohol levels, has been a controversial issue for Beaujolais winemakers. Historically, Beaujolais producers would pick grapes at ripeness that were at minimum potential alcohol levels of 10-10.5% and then add sugar in order to artificially boost the alcohol levels to the near the maximum of 13-13.5%. This created wines that lack structure and balance to go with the high alcohol body and mouthfeel. The recent trend towards higher quality wine production has limited the use of chaptalization in the premium levels of Beaujolais wine. Filtering the wine, in order to stabilize it, is practiced to varying degrees by Beaujolais winemakers. Some producers who make Beaujolais on a large commercial scale will filter the wine aggressively, to avoid any impurity or future chemical reactions. This can have the negative side effect of diminishing some of the wines unique fruit character and leave a flavor that critics have described as Jell-O-like.

Basic Beaujolais is the classic "bistro" wine of Paris, fruity easy-drinking red traditionally served in 1 pint glass bottles known as pot. This is epitomized in Beaujolais Nouveau, which is fermented for just a few days and can be dominated by estery flavors such as bananas and pear drops. Basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais nouveau are meant to be drunk within a year of their harvest. Beaujolais village are generally consumed within 2-3 years and Cru Beaujolais has the potential to age longer, some not even fully developing till at least 3 years after harvest. Premium examples from Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent can spend up to 10 years continuing to develop in the bottle and in very good vintages can take on Burgundian qualities of structure and complexity.

Wine industry

The Beaujolais wine industry is dominated by the more than 30 négociants who produce nearly 90% of the wine sold outside the Beaujolais region. Many of these négociants are based in Burgundy-such as Louis Jadot and Bouchard Père et Fils. One of the most well known Beaujolais producers is the négociants Georges Duboeuf. There are more than 4000 vineyard owners in Beaujolais and the fractional amount that is not sold to négociants are bottled by the nearly 20 village co-operatives with a growing amount being estated bottled. Very little of the estate bottled Beaujolais wines are exported into the United States or United Kingdom though a few exporters specialize in this small niche-the most notable being Kermit Lynch and Alain Jugenet.

Serving and with food

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Light bodied Beaujolais wine, such as Beaujolais Village pair well with lighter fare like salads.

Wine expert Karen MacNeil has described Beaujolais as "the only white wine that happens to be red. Similarly, Beaujolais is often treated like a white wine and served slightly chilled with the lighter the style, the lower temperature it is served at. Beaujolais Nouveau, being the lightest style, is served at about 52°F (11°C. Beaujolais AOC and Beaujolais-Villages are generally served between 56-57°F (13°C). Cru Beaujolais, especially the fuller bodied examples, can be treated like red Burgundy wine and served at 60-62°F (15-16°C). The wines rarely need to be decanted. In Beaujolais, it is traditional to soak the bottles in buckets of ice water and bring them out to the center villages for picnics and games of boules.

Beaujolais wine can be paired with a variety of food according to the lightness and body of the wine. Beaujolais Nouveau is typically used as an apéritif with basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages doing well with light fare, like picnics and salads. The lighter Cru Beaujolais pair well with poultry and the heavier Crus pairing better with red meats and hearty dishes like stews. According to Lyon chef Paul Bocuse, Beaujolais wine is used to make a traditional regional dessert involving a glass of sliced peaches, topped with black currants and drenched in chilled Beaujolais wine.

Scandals

Following the 2001 vintage, over 1.1 million cases of Beaujolais wine (most of it Beaujolais Nouveau) had to be destroyed or distilled due to lackluster sale as part of a consumer blacklash against the popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau. French wine critic François Mauss claimed, in an interview giving to a local newspaper Lyon Mag, that the reason for the blacklash was the poor quality of Beaujolais Nouveau that had flooded the market in recent decades. He claimed that Beaujolais producers had long ignored the warning signs that such a backlash was coming and continued to produce what Mauss termed as vin de merde (shit wine). This triggered an outcry among Beaujolais producers followed by an association of 56 cooperative producers filing a lawsuit against the Lyon Mag for publishing Mauss comments. Rather than sue for libel, the producers sued under an obscured French law that prevented the denigration of French products. A court in Villefranche-sur-Saône found in the Beaujolais producers favor and awarded USD$350,000 which would put the small, employee owned publication out of business. The bad publicity garnered from the "Shit wine case" and its fall out prompted the producers to settled for reduce damages and legal expenses of $2,800.

The Vins Georges Duboeuf company was charged in 2005 with mixing low-grade wine with better vintages after a patchy 2004 harvest. Georges Duboeuf denied wrongdoing, blaming human error and pointing out that none of the affected wine was released to consumers. The production manager directly responsible admitted his actions and resigned, and a court found that both "fraud and attempted fraud concerning the origin and quality of wines" had been committed. Fewer than 200,000 liters of the company's annual 270 million liter production were implicated, but L'Affaire Duboeuf, as it was called, was considered a serious scandal. In December 2007, five people were arrested after reportedly selling nearly 600 tonnes of sugar to growers in Beaujolais. Up to 100 growers were accused of using the sugar for illegal chaptalization and also of exceeding volume quotas between 2004 and 2006.

生産

布根第約有六萬英畝（240平方公里）的葡萄園。大部分的生産過程都是小果園將葡萄賣給酒商（Negociant）然後由他們混合和裝瓶。擁有8%產地的約115家酒商出貨量確是巨大的，獨立的生産者雖然佔有67%的產地但產量只有25%，有些獨立葡萄園一年只生産100~200箱葡萄酒，同時間很多製造者已經生産過千箱了。酒商可以使用如Mis en bouteille dans nos caves（敝酒窖裝瓶）的標示但不能使用如Mis en bouteille au domaine, Mis au domaine或Mis en bouteille à la propriété等只有生産者自己製造的標示。

葡萄種類

綠葡萄方面以夏多内最爲普遍，雖然也有釀造較酸、價錢較低廉葡萄酒的阿里高蝶，布根第的阿里高蝶同時也是Kir的原料，另外Saint Brix地區還種植有長相思（Sauvignon Blanc）。夏布利、馬貢酒及在金丘區製造的白葡萄酒都是由100%的夏多内葡萄製造。

紫葡萄方面，金丘區種植的幾乎都是黑皮諾，但在薄酒來則加美遍地。