Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 expert-recommended Beaujolais sips at the Vancouver International Wine Festival
France is in the spotlight at this year’s event, which features a weekend-long tasting event at the Vancouver Convention Centre
Grand Tasting Room at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.
The Vancouver International Wine Festival’s Grand Tasting Room runs from March 12 to 14 at the Vancouver Convention Centre
THE BIGGEST DRAW of France’s Beaujolais wine region is its diversity. Located near Lyon, the area is characterized by sprawling crus—high-quality vineyards—in the north, quaint villages in the centre, and appellations in the south, where the red Gamay grape thrives on granite-based soil.
Fans of the variety will know it best from the bright, acidic Beaujolais Nouveau wine, released annually on the third Thursday of November to mark the end of the harvest in France. Festivals are held all throughout the region to celebrate the occasion, with music, fireworks, and food galore.
But for us folks here in Vancouver who can’t party it up in a French vineyard, sipping Beaujolais Nouveau is an accessible entry point to a region that produces an incredible variety of wines. Harry Hertscheg, executive director of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, tells Stir that the stellar quality of Beaujolais wines is indicative of what the whole country has to offer.
“French wines have long been the standard that all winemakers strive to equal and surpass,” he says. “Nowhere else do wines reflect so profoundly their place in the world.”
So, at the festival, which runs from March 7 to 14 at various venues around Vancouver, guests can compare and contrast all the expressive flavour profiles of wines from gold-standard makers—and France is in the spotlight this year.
“When you sip a French wine, you’re taking a journey to the corner of France from which it sprung,” Hertscheg shares. “Even better, you’ll be able to speak to a key member of the winery—an owner, a winemaker, a brand ambassador—who can share the stories behind their wines.”
The best place to do that is at the Grand Tasting Room, one of the main draws of the annual festival. It’ll be set up at the Vancouver Convention Centre over the weekend of March 12 to 14, featuring 27 winery booths, a themed Vive la France wine bar, and tasting stations with 10 regions represented, from Beaujolais to Bordeaux.
As for a game plan? “The best way to take the plunge is to find a winery table with nobody in front of it and try a sample or a flight of wines,” Hertscheg says. “Ask the principal wearing a blue lanyard anything you want to know about their winery and wines. They’ve travelled to Vancouver to pour their wines and answer your questions.”
You’ll find B.C. wines near the entrance of the room, and French wines toward the back. So grab a glass (and an all-important spit cup) and get ready to taste. Here are five of the Beaujolais gems Hertscheg recommends sipping at the Grand Tasting Room, with a few flavour notes for each.
Château des Jacques, Moulin-à-Vent 2022
“Often called the most ‘Burgundian’ cru, Moulin-à-Vent is famed and named for its iconic 15th windmill, a protected historical monument. Rich and powerful, this wine displays the essence of its appellation with elegant fruit, supple tannins, and freshness.”
Château de La Chaize, Fleurie 2023
“Fleurie is characterized by the steepness of its slopes and the pink granite that underpins the majority of its vineyards. The wines are typically delicate, red-fruited, with a pronounced floral aroma. The Château de La Chaise is a juicy Gamay with notes of black cherry and plum, highlighted by peppery spices.”
Château Bellevue “Les Charmes”, Morgon 2019
“Morgon is the second-largest of the crus with very diverse soils and gentle slopes. Les Charmes lies on silty sandstone over clay, with vines that ripen slowly. The 2019 features a floral nose with herbal notes, with wild black cherry and black raspberry on the palate with finely structural tannins.”
Domaine du Vieux Bourg “Au Bois Retour”, Chénas 2022
“Chénas is the smallest of the Beaujolais crus, but its terrain varies substantially from west to east. Au Bois Retour produces an elegant and generous wine, silky with a mineral salinity. There are notes of black fruit, peony, and spices with beautifully integrated tannins.”
Michel Guignier, “Les Améthystes”, Saint-Amour 2020
“The most northerly of the crus, it has gentle slopes and diverse soils, including pink granite, blue diorite, clay, sandstone, and alluvial deposits. ‘Les Amethystes’ is a seductive wine with notes of very ripe black fruit, balanced and fruity.” 
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