Beaujolais rallies around its move upmarket and in status

eaujolais is currently mulling a strategy that involves taking the wine region upmarket by turning the occasional use of single vineyard wines into an official endorsement marketed at higher price points. The challenge is to demonstrate that Beaujolais is sitting on an absolute gold mine and the area that is currently the furthest advanced is, of course, the aptly named Pierres Dorées. After filing an initial application for a Complementary Geographical Designation (DGC) with the national institute for quality and origin (INAO) in 2018, the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages producers’ organisation hopes to submit a new proposal by the end of 2022.

The project, which has been on the drawing board for the past twenty years for white and red wines (rosés are not included), mirrors the diversity of Beaujolais vineyard sites: “This is the most geologically complex wine region (along with Alsace)”, stresses Benjamin Caumont, the task officer with the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages organisation. Although the challenging initiative does not go so far as to create a Cru, its aim is to “restore the reputation of southern Beaujolais with a top-flight DGC [grouping together] the finest vineyard sites and most select wines”, claims Jean-Pierre Rivière, vice-chairman of the producers’ organisation. There are similar plans for another DGC under AOC Beaujolais Villages with Lantignié, for red and white wines.

The 10 Beaujolais crus are following a similar tack – five of them are at different stages of the process aimed at creating “Premiers crus”, explained legal expert Cécile Robinet, tasked with the procedure at the Beaujolais Crus producers’ organisation, referring to Brouilly and Côtes de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas and Moulin-à-Vent. Ideally, the organisation would like to submit the first application to INAO by the end of 2023. Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly have made significant headway already and have defined 17 vineyard localities. “The issue is about moving fast with the ‘Premier Cru’ application,” stresses Emmanuel Jambon, a member of the organisation, who notes that it is highly strategic for the future of the region: “Winegrowers are apprehensive about pricing and are afraid it would frighten away customers. We have gone beyond this now”.