It turns out that I had a lot to learn and I and the other winophiles are anxious to share that knowledge with you.
Cindy of Grape Experiences explained the Crus very well in her invitation post, telling us that the Cru designation is only given to wines produced in a geographic restricted area that has agreed to adhere to certain, specific rules.
There are 10 crus in Beaujolais as depicted in this map provided from fellow member, Jill of L'Occasion. I decided to taste a bottle of the Cru Fleurie from Chateau de Poncie.
Beaujolais Noveau and Cru Beaujolais are all made in the same region (Beaujolais) and of the same grape (Gamay). The Noveau can be made from anywhere in the region and is made into a single wine. There is also Beaujolais-Village which is a step higher in quality and can be blended with other village level sources. Finally there are the Cru Beaujolais that develops it's personality from the individual terroir of the cru.
The Fleurie region is known for pink granite and thin soil which creates a wine that is fresh with a bite of pepper. I love a peppery wine and this bottle from Chateau de Poncie was delicious. Chateau de Poncie dates back to 949 AD and is well known for creating lovely wines. It is currently owned by the Henriot Family Portfolio according to Wine.com.
Our daughter, Nicole and her husband Pierre and our son, Anthony, stopped by on Frank's birthday to drop off his gifts and enjoy a social distancing visit on the deck. I made up a cheese plate featuring the Pickled Pig's Tongue I had made a few days earlier and put it out along with this bottle of Fleurie Beaujolais.
What we found most interesting was how the wine adapted to whatever we tasted from the platter. This is an amazingly food friendly wine and at a price point of less than $25 it is perfect for those occasions when you are not sure what wine you should serve but want to complement your meal.
Join the winophiles tomorrow morning to learn more about these wines during our twitter chat at 11 AM ET. You will find us by following #Winophiles. Here are the topics we will be discussing.....
- Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm experiences A Casual COVID-19 Visit with Charcuterie and Chateau de Poncie Le Pre Roi Fleurie.
- Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla pairs Tuna Pâté + Joseph Drouhin Hospices De Belleville Brouilly 2016.
- Jill at L’Occasion explores Soil + Wind: Tasting Cru Beaujolais with Château du Moulin-à-Vent.
- Payal of Keep the Peas is Welcoming Summer with a Berry Delicious Brouilly.
- Lynn at Savor the Harvest honors Fleurie - The Queen of Beaujolais Crus.
- Jane at Always Ravenous explores Cru Beaujolais: Tasting and Food Pairings.
- Jeff at Food Wine Click! enjoys Cru Beaujolais at the Grill.
- Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares Flowers for Julien –Beaujolais in May.
- Linda at My Full Wine Glass discovers Gamay and Granite – A Beaujolais Love Story.
- Susannah Gold at Avvinare finds Cru Beaujolais – An Endless Discovery.
- Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairing discovers Cru Beaujolais –Cedric Lathuiliere Fleurie Paired with Frog Legs.
- Nicole at Somms Table explains Julien Sunier Régnié and a Focaccia Fail.
- Lauren at The Swirling Dervish meets Morgon de Jean-Pau Thévenet, One of the Beaujolais Gang of Four.
- Kat at The Corkscrew Concierge is Exploring the Differences & Pairing Versatility of Cru Beaujolais.
- Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog considers A Taste of Chénas, Beaujolais’ Rarest Cru.
- Terri of Our Good Life pairs Cru Beaujolais with Rustic Foods.
- Gwendolyn at Wine Predator is Comparing Louis Tete’s 2016 Brouilly and Morgan Gamay from Beaujolais With Pairings.
- Over at Grape Experiences, Cindy is loving The Wines of Fleurie – An Enchanting Introduction to Cru Beaujolais.
You and I both had a lot to learn about Beaujolais, my friend! That platter looks delicious. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cam..
DeleteWhat a nice bottle you picked Wendy! The pickled tongue, hat's off to you for making this dish. I hesitated, tasted and enjoyed it a while back. Since it's super easy for me to get here, I know what I'll share with a Beauolais cru when we can again have quests for apéro.
ReplyDeleteYes, people are always surprised when they get up the nerve to try it and find it to their liking.
DeleteAppetizing spread! I found the Fleurie very food friendly, too - and peppery!
ReplyDeleteI love a peppery wine.
DeleteHappy you loved the Fleurie, too! Such a good pairing with the appetizers you showed!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to imagine a pairing that wouldn't work with this bottle.
DeleteLove the Covid-19 theme, causal but well put together despite the inconvenience. Fleurie is awesome so versatile. It can go causal, fish, poultry and steak. I love mine.
ReplyDeleteI was very pleased with it.
DeleteI'm glad you got the chance to celebrate Frank's birthday. And the Fleurie sounds like a great way to enjoy the day!
ReplyDeleteUgh, sorry Wendy. It's Lauren; forgot to switch Google accounts!
DeleteHi Lauren, the Fleurie was delicious but getting to spend some time with family, even distancing, was heaven to me.
DeleteI think you hit the nail on the head perfectly when you said " the wine adapted to whatever we tasted from the platter." They really do seem to do that.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was marvelous Nicole.
DeleteCru Beaujolais might be new to you, but I think you might be part French: pickled pig's tongue sounds like something I'd get in a bouchon in Lyon!
ReplyDeleteI am French Canadian on my father's side.
DeleteLove the spread and especially enjoy elegant Fleurie.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katrina.
DeleteLooks delicious and what a sweet way to celebrate a birthday in these unusual times! And Pickled Pig's Tongue - what?! I've never even heard of that despite my many years in the South, where unusual USA-grown foods abound. I've learnt something new!
ReplyDeleteProbably more common in the Midwest States where we have large Eastern European influence.
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