SYLVIANE NUCCIO

Beaujolais is a very important wine area of France and an ideal wine testing tour. Who has not heard of Beaujolais nouveau?

Beaujolais nouveau is released every year on the third Thursday of November. The most prominent Beaujolais nouveau producers are found in deferent areas of the region named Beaujolais and includes all those major wineries which wine bear their names. Those areas are, St. Amour, Julienas, Moulin a Vent, Chenas, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly and Regnie. All of those towns are making some of the greatest wine of France and each have their “Cave” (wine cellar) where you can taste those delicious wines to your heart content.

Fleurie, Chiroubles and Morgon are very close to my heart, since I have been lucky enough to know personally some wine makers in these three regions.

During World War II my mother, then 6 years old with her sister and brother were all sent to Beaujolais for safety since Lyon where they lived was a very dangerous place to be during that time. Of the three, my mother ended up in the house of the biggest wine maker of the Villie-Morgon who owned about 60% of the vineyards of the town. His children and grand children are now wine makers in Fleurie, Chiroubles and of course Morgon.
If you happened to be in the “Region Lyonnaise” area, make sure you take a tour of Beaujolais and it delicious wines. Even if you are not a wine “amateur” you can enjoy the beauty of the landscape of Beaujolais country with its renaissance courtyards, its 17th century wind mill and 16th century castles and houses.