Food

Among France’s eleven wine-growing regions Beaujolais perhaps surprisingly ranks number eight in total acreage devoted to the grape. However, it is one of the best-known wine regions to a large degree because of the enormously successful Beaujolais Nouveau marketing campaign. I review Beaujolais Nouveau wine in a companion article in this series.

Beaujolais wine is usually, but not always, red. Beaujolais white wine comes from a variety of grapes including Chardonnay as in the wine reviewed below, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Aligoté.

There are no cities in the entire region so tourists will have to be satisfied with the 14 mile (23 kilometer) Beaujolais wine route and its villages. Most of them are. This wine route is home to nine of the Beaujolais grands crus including Chiroubles, reviewed
in a companion article.

Not far from the wine route is Villars-les-Dombes (population four thousand) with an excellent bird sanctuary, including four hundred species of birds. Continue south to the medieval walled town of Pérouges (population about one thousand) on a hilltop. This town was the setting for the movie The Three Musketeers.

Before reviewing the Beaujolais wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Cuisses de Grenouilles (Frogs Legs).
For your second course savor Quenelles de Brochet (Poached Fish Dumplings).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Galettes de Pérouges (Pérouges Pancakes).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Pisse-Dru Beaujolais Blanc 2004 12.9% alcohol about $10.00

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. The name “Pisse-Dru” comes from an amusing French vintners expression: when an old vigneron says with a smile of satisfaction on his face, “ça pisse dru”, it means that the vintage he has just tasted is to his liking and that the fresh juice of the grape will grow into a perfect and delicious bottle of wine.

Yellow-green color with hints of gold. Fine and fruity on the nose, this wine shows aromas of quince and small yellow plum with some floral nuances. A very pleasant wine with a long finish. Serve chilled with hors d’oeuvres, grilled seafood, cold-cuts, poultry with light cream sauce and cold pasta salads. And now for the review.