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Have you ever noticed the vines tumbling down the Beaujolais hillsides? These exceptional landscapes not only give the region its own unique charm but have also led to this very Beaujolais idea of “heroic wine growing.” Why “heroic” Because you need to be pretty brave to work on these slopes. As the winegrowers themselves say, it’s hard work but it’s fascinating. Once you’ve read this article, you’ll never again see Beaujolais vines in the same light.

Who ever thought of growing wines on slopes?

Beaujolais landscapes are instantly recognizable by their vines planted in perfect rows across the contour lines of hills. You’re probably wondering how winegrowers here got the idea of growing vines on hillsides. Well it’s quite simply because the lie of the land affects the growth of grapes in more than one way!

Firstly, the upper ground has more sunlight than the plain down below. The sun’s rays have fewer obstacles to overcome and can reach the vines directly. And vines love the sun! The warmth creates a good balance between the sweetness and acidity in grapes, which produces wines that are gentle but also very tasty.

But that’s not the only reason why winegrowers brave the sometimes very steep gradients in the Beaujolais region. Water streaming down the slopes is also very advantageous for the grapes. The water doesn’t have time to soak into the ground, it simply runs off down to the bottom of the slope. So the fruit gets just the right amount of water.

This is ideal, because too much water damages the vines. It increases the risk of disease, makes pest control treatment less efficient and prevents the grapes from fully soaking up the flavors of the terroir. The heroism of the vine stock therefore protects them and ensures optimal growth.

Meticulous work so that the heroic vines can give of their best

Winegrowers in the Beaujolais region are brave, daring and tenacious. All work in the vines from September to August has to be done manually, as the winegrowers work gradually across one plot of land to another. Except during the harvest, the winegrower does all this work on own: pruning, disbudding, tying, weeding, hoeing… He creates the best conditions for the grapes to flourish on these difficult slopes. The winegrowers themselves are also heroic!

The “heroic wine growing” label

The hillside rows of vines cover the Beaujolais mountains at an average altitude of 300 metres, with peaks culminating at over 600 metres. The Beaujolais vineyard is a member of CERVIM (Centre for

Research, Environmental Sustainability and Advancement of Mountain Viticulture), alongside other vineyards in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region like Côte-Rôtie as well as the Banyuls-Collioure, Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Douro and other wine regions around the world. This type of winegrowing, practised at over 500 metres in altitude or on inclines over 30% (thresholds defined by CERVIM) is characterised as ‘heroic’ viticulture due to the human involvement and effort imposed by the difficulty of the mountain environment. The challenges are threefold: cultural, ecological and geographical. Here, the grower’s work is glorified. There are 8,900 plots on ‘extreme slopes’ (over 30%), which account for nearly 3,000 hectares in all. Quincié-en-Beaujolais is the steepest village where more than 90 hectares are on slopes with inclines over 30%, and Chiroubles which produces crus, has nearly 60 hectares on steep inclines.

Now that you know more about the conditions under which Beaujolais wines are grown, you’ll surely spare a thought for these extreme winegrowers next time you raise a glass of Beaujolais wine!

A terroir is the combination of natural elements in a particular zone (the soil, topography, biodiversity, climate and landscape) as well as the knowledge and skills of winegrowers and the production techniques used. It is the terroir that gives a wine its particular characteristics. The Beaujolais region is very diverse with a variety of terroirs each with its own secret that can be found in the particular character of each appellation.

Very varied soils from north to south

From 2009 to 2018, at the Inter Beaujolais council’s request, a terroir characterisation survey was conducted by the SIGALES soil mapping agency. After more than 15,000 soil surveys, nearly 1,000 soil pits and 50 field visits, the analyses made it possible to map the Beaujolais vineyard. Winegrowers and négociants are taking advantage of the soil characterisation to highlight the terroirs in plot-by-plot cuvées. In April 2018, recognition of the outstanding geology led to the “UNESCO Global Geopark” designation. Consequently, the Beaujolais vineyard became the 7th Geopark in France. Although the Beaujolais wine region is not very extensive geographically speaking, it encompasses a multitude of different soils in a highly surprising way; over 300 variants have been identified and described. The soils form on bedrock or on the parent material that supports them. As such, our vineyard is quite outstanding, since it bears witness to over 500 million years of geological history for which all the traces can easily be found. At the interface of all the major geological events in history, located on the eastern edge of the Massif Central and impacted by the Alpine phenomenon of the Tertiary period but spared by the glaciers, the Beaujolais wine region has inherited one of the richest and most complex geologies in France. Covering a small area, the vineyard brings together a very wide variety of rocks!

This is where each appellation or if not each “lieu-dit” initially draws its own individual character, especially given that Gamay is the only grape variety used in the Beaujolais region for producing all the red wines: crus, Beaujolais-Villages and Beaujolais.

A climate with different influences

The Beaujolais region benefits from a mild climate marked by three major influences. In winter,
continental air masses contribute to the frosts that can sometimes continue until well into the
spring. Between seasons, the oceanic air masses promote the regulatory function of the Saône River
and reduce the differences in temperature. The return of warm weather brings with it the influence
of Mediterranean winds.

The Upper Beaujolais mountain chain also helps protect the vine stock and attracts the foehn – warm air from the west that has a warming and drying effect in summer when it crosses the Beaujolais mountain ridges on its way down to the plain.

The winegrowing terroir has relatively low rainfall and can be affected by extreme heat as well as sometimes devastating storms.

Slopes with good sunlight

Most of the slopes in the Beaujolais region face south or east and benefit from long hours of sunshine and good light from spring to autumn. Another great advantage for producing exceptional Beaujolais wines.

The passion and skills of winegrowers in the Beaujolais

Growing techniques in the Beaujolais still rely heavily on the physical involvement of the winegrower. Whether it’s for pruning the vine stock, looking after the soil, training the vine or organising the harvest, Beaujolais winegrowers are always physically present on their land. Although mechanical means are used in some places to facilitate certain tasks (ploughing or harvests), the very nature of the land (relatively small plots, stony soils, hillsides, steep gradients, etc.) and the regulations governing the 12 appellations, require constant vigilance and all the skills and knowledge that are passed down from generation to generation.

The Beaujolais region owes the different qualities and variety of its wines to the diversity of its terroirs as much as to the passion of its winegrowers and the intimate knowledge they have built up about their land. Knowledge and skills that are becoming increasingly specialised and very much dedicated to preserving this unique natural heritage.

Back in Roman times, vines were already being grown in the Beaujolais region. It’s even said that the Juliénas cru was named after Julius Caesar. But it was in the Middle Ages that the region’s wines really began to make a name for themselves. And it’s a story that involves a number of famous people.

The Lords of Beaujeu or the advent of Beaujolais

The Beaujolais winegrowing area really started to become well-known thanks to the Lords of Beaujeu. One of them, Bérard, became known from around 957 for his wine trading. The Lords of Beaujeu gave their name to the area and contributed to its aura. Beaujeu was the capital of the Beaujolais region up until 1514, when it was replaced by Villefranche-sur-Saône.

Wine production at the time was marginal compared to other crops. It wasn’t until the 17^th century that winegrowing here really expanded.

Pulliat and Vermorel: saviours of the vines

In the 19^th century, Victor Pulliat played a major role in the rebirth of the vines that had been decimated by phylloxera. It was in Chiroubles that he studied different ways of eradicating the insect. His research took him all around Europe carrying out graft tests. The vines were saved after he advocated the grafting of American rootstock.

Today his memory is still honoured in the region. The Victor Pullliat Prize is awarded to the best vintages in each of the 10 Beaujolais crus at the annual Fête des Crus.

The name Victor Vermorel is associated with the fight against mildew. In the late 19t^h century, he started experimenting in the family workshop in Villefranche-sur-Saône. He is mostly known for creating a Bordeaux mixture spray to rid the vines of this particular disease.

The fathers of Beaujolais Nouveau

In the 20th century the sheer energy of men such as Louis Bréchard, a winegrower and MP, Léon Foillard, wine merchant and founder of the Compagnons du Beaujolais (Beaujolais Guild) and Gérard Canard, former director of the Beaujolais professional wine network, contributed to the promotion of Beaujolais Nouveau.

But the undisputed king of this bacchanalian high table is Georges Duboeuf.

Georges Duboeuf and Beaujolais on a global scale

Sometimes nicknamed the “pope” or the “king” of Beaujolais, Georges Dubœuf came from a long line of winegrowers. He settled in 1964 in Romanèche-Thorins to establish his Beaujolais and Mâconnais wine trade. A discerning taster, he had his heart set on revealing the talent of the winegrowers and enhancing the great terroirs. A tireless ambassador for the region, he travelled the world to promote his wines alongside renowned chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Pierre Troisgros and Guy Savoy. He contributed greatly to the reputation of Beaujolais Nouveau by organising major international events. A forerunner in terms of communication, in 1993 he founded the Hameau Dubœuf, a museum dedicated to the vineyards and wine.

Bernard Pivot, local man

And finally there is the local man, Beaujolais lover and champion of the winegrowing
area. Bernard Pivot, writer, man of letters and television presenter, author of the book Dictionnaire amoureux du Vin (Wine Lovers’ Dictionary) and member of the Goncourt Academy, is the co-founder of the Beaujolais Defence Committee.

He often says that Beaujolais is “a wine associated with youth, energy, freshness and with priests or workers’ gardens where there are a few red fruits to be found”.

In an interview with the Lyon Capitale newspaper, he defined Beaujolais as a “wine for the class struggle (…). Wine for Laughing Cow cheese and for crown roast of lamb. Wine to be drunk in local restaurants with old friends and wine to be drunk at family lunches. Wine for a left-wing workers’ sausage stew and wine for the pot-au-feu of the political right. ‘Beaujolpif’ for workers to slurp and Saint-Amour for weddings”.

Take it from Bernard Pivot: there really is a Beaujolais for every occasion and every
personality!