Just an hour south of Beaune and the most prestigious wineries in the country lies the bustling metropolis Lyon and several smaller sub-regions, the largest of which is Beaujolais. Now, this region is mostly famous for the celebration of the release of each new year’s production, or “Beaujolais Nouveau”. This was basically a marketing gimmick made famous by Georges DuBoeuf, and has faded a bit recently. The “beaujolais nouveau” are brand new baby wines are barely aged at all, and therefore are much simpler and more affordable than there counterparts further north. The “simplicity” of these young wines has given the region a bit of a reputation for having “bad” wines, so I went to check it out.
One sweltering afternoon I went on a open-top bus tour out of Lyon, recommended by the local tourist office. We started with the exploration of one of the many adorable Golden Stone villages in the region, Oingt. Yes- that’s how its spelled! It was a charming little hill-top village complete with the remains of a 13 century chapel, and yes- a great example of the yellow stone from the region. The views are spectacular – that’s basically why we stopped there. BUT – there was a great little wine shop where we could start our exploration of the wines of the region. We also stopped in the vines to learn a bit about the production. First thing to know – the reds are pretty much ALL a grape called “Gamay”, which is a cousin to Pinot Noir – just fruitier and faster to ripen. There are a few whites, made from Chardonnay, but mostly it’s all about the reds. The region is regulated to some degree, though producers have much more flexibility than in Bordeaux & Burgundy. There are three classifications, generally running from south to north: plain old Beaujolais AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee), the Beaujolais-Villages AOC, and then the fanciest: Cru Beaujolais. Our tour would be making our way north, except there was a bit of a snafu, and somehow we ended up lost. !! It was a gorgeous hour or so meandering up and down hills, and I think we missed out on some time tasting, but oh well – who doesn’t love driving around in an open air bus through territory that looks like this!
In any case, once we made it up north, near Mount Brouilly (an extinct volcano!) we were able to do some tasting at a super charming traditional co-op. They had tons of different bottles, and though a bit rushed, we did get some tasting and purchases done. I have to say that I was fairly impressed – these were no “Beaujolais nouveau” which tastes basically like grape juice (to me) – they were definitely some bottles that I would’ve purchased if given the chance! I know everyone (especially the Burgundians) look down on Beaujolais wines, but I think they do have some little affordable gems there. All in all, it was a lovely afternoon, and I seriously doubt the whole getting-lost part is usual.
If you continue driving north past Mount Brouilly, you technically enter Burgundy territory, and after about a half hour, the towns become a bit more famous – Pouilly, Fuisse, and Macon, to name a few. These form smaller sub-regions of the big daddy region, and surprisingly are really quite different. First of all, while Beaujolais is almost exclusively red, this southern Burgundy area is almost exclusively know for its whites. While gamay is king down south, here chardonnay reigns. NOW – it is true that chardonnay can be horribly buttery and oaky, they do also have lighter versions here – though aging in stainless steel is really just not “done” as much as it is. Tradition is important – it is technically Burgundy, after all! I had such a fun time poking around from Julienas up to Macon, stopping in little family-run wineries (like Domaine Luquet Roger in Fuisse, which looked intimidating but ended up being so charming that I kept their brochure!). I even stumbled upon a crazy beautiful rock formation, surrounded by vines. The “Roche de Solutre” randomly shoots straight out of a normal hill just past Fuisse and the views from the top are really impressive. The hike up to the top was pretty tough, but well worth it for the views. Just spectacular. This part of the region is a perfect drive if you’re going from Lyon to Beaune, but it is only about an hour from each, which makes it do-able from either home base.
And finally – let’s talk about a potential home base for exploring this western wine region. Lyon is just amazing. I’ve now visited twice and both times I left wanting more. Home, of course, to Chef Paul Bocuse, this is really the gastronomic home of fine French cuisine. The food here has a style all its own, with several local specialties that aren’t really found elsewhere (my favorite is the Brochet de Quenelle – spectacular!). Lyon was a big deal in Roman times, then again during the Renaissance thanks to the silk trade, and then even towards the end of the 1800s thanks to the movie pioneers, the Lumiere brothers. Of course then the Bocuse family of chefs kept it in the forefront ever since the 1960’s. It is a very cosmopolitan and modern city, with culture galore (besides the amazing food). Though the center of town is more or less walk-able, it does have a great public transport system, and the best news is that the high-speed TGV train can get you back to Paris in just about two hours, making it highly accessible either upon arrival into France, or before you leave. You’ve got little crooked streets in Vieux Lyon, at the base of a huge hill which is topped by the ornate Notre-Dame Basilica. Between the two rivers (the Rhone & the Saone), you’ve got the “Presqu’ile” which is like a mini-Paris, complete with shopping avenues and monumental squares. There is also a sort of mini-Eiffel Tower up there too! These two neighborhoods and their monuments are brilliantly lit-up at night, and both have adorable pedestrian-only streets bursting with bistros and brasseries. On the far banks of the mighty Rhone you have the more modern part of the city, and as someone who drove in and out of town – the outer part can be quite congested! This is why I think it is better as a home base for a more casual wine fan, just because it can take a while to get out of town into the vines. However, if you need a bit more than just wine for your visit, definitely choose Lyon. It’s just a spectacular city – I can’t wait to go back!