Jacky Piret Beaujolais La Combe

The Wine... 9 acres of old vines (50+ years) are sustainably farmed to make Jacky Piret's "basic" Beaujolais. The cellar is in Belleville-sur-Saone near Brouilly, a village at the southern end of Beaujolais' hilly cru area. Frederick and Jacky Piret have very high density plantings of Gamay, up to 10,000 plants per hectare. All the fruit is harvested by hand and aged in stainless steel prior to bottling. Only 1,000 cases of La Combe are made annually. Do we need more Beaujolais in the store? When it's affordable and tastes like this you really can't have too much.

The Grape... 98% of this region's wine is red made from one grape variety: Gamay, which grown in this part of France has an unmistakable aroma, color and flavor. Refreshing lightness, lower alcohol, bright acidity and red-fruit juiciness make Beaujolais a perennially satisfying red wine to keep around the house. The region's traditional practice of carbonic maceration is in part responsible for the character of these wines. Here's how it works: whole, uncrushed clusters of grapes are loaded into a tank in which the oxygen has been removed by addition of carbon dioxide. Fermentation begins with smashed grapes at the bottom of the tank and within each grape in this anaerobic atmosphere. In a number of days the grape skins burst open and the young wine runs forth. The result of this process is a heady grape aroma, and juice extract with astonishing clarity. The fruit-driven nature of these wines maintains elegance and balance, making Beaujolais so lovable.

A Wine For Food... The popularity of Beaujolais in French bistros is well known. One reason for this is location. Lyon, the city just down the Saone river from Beaujolais, for centuries has benefited from this easy route of wine transport, so that Beaujolais may be found on the tables of every restaurant in town. This city also happens to be the gastronomic capital of France, so its influence on French cuisine is undeniable, making the popularity of Beaujolais extend to the bistros of Paris. Lyon's restaurant scene is based on the Bouchon, a typically small, family-run place, serving Lyonnaise fare. Traditional dishes there focus on the bounty of local ingredients from nearby farms, wild game and fish from the Savoy lakes. A culinary formula that can easily be duplicated here with our own local resources, which may be enjoyed just as well with Beaujolais.