It’s the third Thursday in November. The Beaujolais Nouveaux have arrived! This is the new slogan of this popular and planetary festival which translates several types of wines from different terroirs. In 2021, 18 million bottles were sold worldwide. This year, there could be a little less.
Nature has been tough on the winegrowers and winegrowers of Beaujolais, this small wine region in eastern France, which runs from the north of the city of Lyon to the south of Mâcon. They will remember 2022 as a particularly trying vintage because of the extreme weather phenomena that have multiplied throughout the vegetative cycle of the vine.
A vintage marked with a climatic seal
“ It was terribly lacking this little rain just before the harvest », sighs Sandra Escot, market manager for France, Switzerland and China at Lallemand, the world leader in the production of yeasts, bacteria and their derivatives. This oenologist and winemaker at Domaine des Pins Saint Amour notes that the weight of the grapes arriving in her cellar was halved in places. Result: less than 20% of grapes harvested to satisfy amateurs in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom or even Canada, which are the main importing countries of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages Nouveaux.
Could this be a first vintage truly marked by climate change? Bertrand Chatelet, oenologist and director of Sicarex, a viticultural research center in Beaujolais, confirms: “We had extreme temperatures in May, in July. We have to go back to 2003 to find comparable conditions. Everyone has experienced this, men like the vine. This caused unusual water stress in the vineyard in contrast to 2021. The wines bear witness to this change and this exceptional vintage. The winegrowers obviously adapted by starting the harvest historically early, two weeks compared to the usual average. It is also an issue throughout the year. The vine is fertilized to allow the soil to regenerate and increase its water retention capacity. The ecological transition is underway to reduce the use of phytosanitary products. There are a lot of questions. The period we are going through is not easy, but it is also a great challenge for us oenologists who guide winegrowers in the vineyard”. Indeed, several experiments are piloted by this research center, relating in particular to irrigation, genetic material and vine management methods.
Read also: Beaujolais Nouveau, a safe bet internationally
Sustainable viticulture on the move
If it is not easy to make organic wine in Beaujolais because of its capricious climate, more and more producers are shaking up the established rules. “At a time of global warming, ecological transition has proven to be essential in our region”, declares Daniel Bulliat, president of Inter Beaujolais, the region’s interprofession where 2,000 winegrowers, 9 cooperative cellars and 200 merchants operate. Those who have decided to get started are working on what is called “agroecology”, that is to say, a vision of agriculture aimed at obtaining an efficient production system for environmental, economic and social issues.
In this small vineyard of 14,500 hectares, where the average surface area of the farms does not exceed 8 hectares, several labels coexist, we get lost a little… In 2021, there are 500 vineyards in Beaujolais certified High Environmental Value (HVE). This label particularly promotes practices that respect the environment. At the same time, 250 farms are conducted in organic farming (AB) or are in the process of conversion. About ten farms are Demeter certified. This certification advocates the use of biodynamic preparations which will act energetically on the balance of the ecosystem of the vineyard. The Terra Vitis Sustainable Development Association has nearly 80 members. And to complete this picture, a number of companies that act for sustainable development carry a Corporate Social Responsibility label (CSR Commitment) (source : Inter Beaujolais).
And will this Beaujolais Nouveau 2022 delight our taste buds? “It is both powerful and fruity. It is the first wine of this vintage that we taste. It is the announcement of what will be the future wines of Beaujolais in a few months”, concludes Bertrand Chatelet. Drink in moderation.