Domaine des Nugues Beaujolais-Villages

If you haven't had the chance to celebrate Beaujolais nouveau yet, now is the time. This is the world’s largest annual wine event, which takes place every third Thursday in November and is the first day that winemakers can start selling their Beaujolais for the year. Until then they can’t be sold. The event is so eagerly awaited that in France alone there are over 100 official parties for Beaujolais Nouveau Day. However, this has not always been the case. The truth is that for centuries, Beaujolais wine was a local wine, not drunk very much and hardly known elsewhere. Beaujolais Nouveau Day was started from a marketing point of view in 1951, and since then it has been a much anticipated national event that is well known around the world.

But although Beaujolais does well because of this commercial push, the truth is that there are many winemakers who work passionately to achieve the best Beaujolais of the year. Gérard Gelin and his son Gérard Gelin form the perfect team to combine tradition with modernity at the Domaine des Nugues winery they have owned since 1976, in the north of Beaujolais. With 33 hectares, the estate is surrounded by the Moulin à Vent, Fleurie and Morgon crus and the soils are clay-siliceous and clay-limestone.

One of their contributions to the AOC Beaujolais-Villages is Domaine des Nugues Beaujolais-Villages, a wine made exclusively with the Gamay variety (the only grape allowed for Beaujolais) from 45-year-old vines. Following the technique established by the denomination, this wine is vinified using carbonic maceration or, also commonly known as a whole berry fermentation. This process lasts approximately 7 days at a controlled temperature and the first racking is carried out before malolactic fermentation.

The result is Domaine des Nugues Beaujolais-Villages, a refreshing and fruity wine which is very pleasant when served slightly chilled (at a temperature of 12.5º). So even if you live far away from this French wine region, you can now enjoy Beaujolais Nouveau Day with the help of Domaine des Nugues.