The mystery of the vanishing Beaujolais

A couple of us were discussing the 'Beaujolais Run' a few weeks ago, might be fun to do the run etc etc, still caught up in the fairytail of it all, so to speak... then I saw this article in the Telegraph ~

Why is Beaujolais Nouveau virtually impossible to buy in Britain nowadays. Once, the supermarkets used to compete for the best choice, but it hasn't been on the shelves for years.

Answer:

If you've heard of Beaujolais the chances are you remember the annual and much-feted race for the first, squealingly young 'nouveau' wines of the vintage to arrive from across the Channel on the third Thursday of November. Perhaps you also remember the taste of the wine - all too often, piercingly acidic, with a smell reminiscent of the old pink penny bubblegum that came in an individual waxy wrapper, and a horribly thin taste. Visit Beaujolais now, mention nouveau and most producers will put their head in their hands and sigh. The idea of drinking freshly harvested wine was exciting for a while but the farrago all but destroyed the reputation of the area. Today Beaujolais is split in two: the southern, generic, part of the appellation has a shocking quantity of untended, overgrown vineyards that are turning to wasteland because the wines, facing competition from everywhere else in the world, can't find a market.

The crus in the north, however, are enjoying a much-deserved resurgence in popularity. This has been helped by the blazingly good 2009 vintage, the likes of which hadn't been since 1947. The crus - the likes of Fleurie, Morgon, Moulin a Vent, Brouilly and so on - are superb and I've been drinking them thirstily all year, but the vintage also made fantastically good value wines of lowly Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages, the last of which are still on the shelves so buy them while you can. As for Nouveau, I think they're trying to forget about it - but I did see some on a supermarket shelf the other week so it is still around

~ So I think that trip to France is off and looking at Karens comment on Pinot Noir we won't be buying that there either !

Christmas Special

The Christams wine club was an eagerly anticipated evening.. However, we didn't all make it, the snow stopped one couple, even their Chelsea Tractor couldn't get them there, the price you pay for living out in the sticks, another couple laid up in bed with a nasty virus..so they say ! The rest of us, wrapped up and made our way through the snow on foot to our hosts for an evening of drinks food and fun.

Unwrapping ourselves on arrival to revel our glad rags, the hall was littered with wellie boots (the chianti smelled just like the boots) hats and coats, looked a bit like a boot fare.

Wines were anything beginning with the letter'c how festive.. The bottles were creatively wrapped to a Christmas theme (pictures above). We must all be children of the Blue Peter sticky back plastic/cut up a washing bottle era.. Really excellent 'attempts' a Christmas tree, Santa, Choir Boy and the winner a stack of gifts which was simple but very effective, well done Mr Stone & his artistic wife who helped by putting her finger on top so the ribbon could be tied!! How would he have managed without her contribution.

A tasty buffet accompanied the wines, a Chablis to start, a bit disappointing, followed by Claret, deep cherry colour and a nice smooth finish this proved to be the winner, very good value so pop to M & S to pick up a bottle or two for Christmas. ~ Bordeaux/Claret 2008 £6.99.

This was followed by a rather nice Cabernet Sauvignon from Asda £7.99 B & G 2007 but on offer at £5.

Lastly a Chianti, harsh and not very drinkable.See wellie boot note above.

So onto the fun and games, well it is Christmas after all, we handed out the Secret Santa gifts, always exciting, seeing who would dip out and not get their gift (from those that weren't there)would have been VERY funny if Mark had dipped out for a second year.. Then another game had been organized involving raffle tickets and random gifts to be taken from each other, too long to explain in depth, a good wheeze though..

Then naturally there was the spilt glass of wine, red of course...I leant across the table for Mick to squeeze my gift (!).. As he did this his full glass of red wine coursed over him, lap to shoulder in a bold diagonal line, couldn't have got more on him if he a had tried, also the cream carpet wasn't spared!! I was laughting to the point of tears, you just had to be there!
All in all a good Christmas wine club only shame was we weren't all there.

We also dipped in the bag to pick the months we would host for 2011... Just need to think of some wines to try.

Time to stick a cork in it.

Bye S.