Wine Blog

While the primary goal of my MidWeek Wines website (recommending entry point offerings) is self-evident, it does have a secondary strand. By also featuring “Friday Treat” and “Sunday Best” options, I provide a staircase to the more complex wines that a little extra money can buy. With “Villages” and, then, “Cru” wines sitting atop its everyday versions, Beaujolais offers a great example of that staircase. And it was to that region that I turned when seeking a lightish red for my Bu …

In the northern hemisphere autumn brings the harvest of grapes, the elaboration of wine and the natural ‘closing down’ of the grape vine until awaking from its slumber the following springtime. Many areas follow a tried and tested method suited to the time of harvesting and the tradition attached. Beaujolais in Eastern France, just north of Lyons, is one such region. Famed for its juicy, fruit-forward style it has been a perennial favourite with wine sippers the world over.A Li …

Beaujolais Nouveau Day, 17 November 2022  Every year, Beaujolais Nouveau Day celebrates the release of France’s most popular vin de primeur (early wine). A light and fruity red made from Gamay grapes which have been grown and harvested by around 400 small farmers in the Beaujolais region, it’s bottled and sold within just 6-8 weeks of the grapes being picked. The 'must' (freshly picked grape juice) is pressed after only three days, so the astringent tannins usually found in red wine …

Gamay is playful little grape, bursting with fun, and eager to please. It’s delicious when young and just a little moreish, often a glass begets a bottle. Little wonder then that there have been mornings when, throat dry and head throbbing, I have sworn: “never again”. The sentiment rarely lasts. The impact of my overindulgence is minimal. I move on. Not so for Philip II aka Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. I assume that his edict on the morning of 31 st July 1395 was his attempt …