From: Julienas, Beaujolais, France
Varietal: Gamay
Tasting Notes: Fresh and lively, with a distinctive hum of a rich core with rounded edges. Notes of fresh cherry, cracked pepper, a touch of mint, and a tinge of cinnamon are wrapped up nicely in supple, easy-to-drink tannins. We recommend serving this with a bit of a chill!
Pairing: Beaujolais is almost always a winner with French charcuterie such as patés, terrines, rillettes and saucisson sec and with white-rinded cheeses such as Brie and Camembert (provided they’re not overripe) but it's a highly versatile wine that can easily take you through a meal where people are ordering different things. So, for today’s pairing, we’re going to share an equally versatile recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork (that can be modified to substitute cauliflower or chicken!) by Brandon Jew and Noah Koopito, adapted by Cathy Erway. It’ll take about 45 minutes to make, plus at least 2 hours of marinating & will yield 4 servings.
Dating from the 14th century, when it was owned by the Lords of Beaujeu, Chateau de Julienas has always been a winemaking estate. The current northern part was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century. The authentic vaulted cellars built of local stone are dated 1744. It was in 1907 that Thierry’s great-grandfather, Claude Condemine bought and restored the Chateau and improved the vineyard. He passed the estate and his passion down to his son, Francois, who - in turn - handed the baton to Thierry. Today, the estate covers 40 hectares of AOP Julienas, Fleurie, and Moulin-a-Vent vines, making it the biggest independent wine estate in the appellation Julienas.
