A summer barbecue in the sunshine with good friends is the perfect accompaniment to a light, fruity, very slightly chilled Beaujolais. Gamay is undoubtedly the region's flagship grape variety, although a small amount of white Beaujolais is also produced, using Chardonnay or Aligoté. The vast majority of Beaujolais should be drunk in its youth, and its juicy fruitiness comes from a process during vinification known as carbonic maceration, which encourages the fruit flavours, rather than tannins, to the fore. There are certain Beaujolais, however, that do show the ability to age wonderfully.
There are five different classifications of Beaujolais: Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Supérieur, Beaujolais-Villages and 10 Beaujolais Crus.
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