Country: France Region: Burgundy Varietal: Gamay Vintage: 2018 Colour: Red Style: Dry Producer: Bouchard Aine et fils Description: The general Burgundy region begins less than one hundred miles south-east of Paris in the vineyards of Chablis. They reappear a further hundred miles south-east at Dijon, forming a long and narrow band of land about one hundred and twenty-five miles long heading south. The general Beaujolais region is to the south of the Mâconnais and just north of the ancient Roman capital of Gaul, Lyons. The vineyards of Beaujolais actually cover a total area of 21,500 hectares, making this by far the largest region of Burgundy, representing almost half of all Burgundy vineyards. Those vineyards entitled to use the Beaujolais name, or "appellation", cover about 9,680 hectares, thus accounting for almost half of the total area They are situated the furthest to the south benefiting from a warm continental climate (very warm in the summer, very cold in the winter). Tasting Note: There are some differences in the techniques used for Beaujolais, compared to the rest of Burgundy. Most importantly is that the grapes are not all crushed on arrival at the winery. In this way fermentation will occur within the grape's own skin. Pressing is carried out only after the initial fermenting in the vats. For this reason, harvesting by hand is often preferred to avoid damage to the individual grapes. Finally, to preserve the typical fruity flavour of Beaujolais wines, ageing in vats is preferable to ageing in wooden casks. Food Matches: Red Meat / Beef / Lamb