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Verdant hills, elegant châteaux and ever more serious wines make this stunning region well worth a detour from neighbouring Burgundy, says Sue Style. Read the full guide to Beaujolais, including the best wineries to visit, plus top places to stay, eat, shop and relax. As published in the Decanter July 2011 issue.
Beaujolais: Where to stay, shop, eat and relax
Hotels and Restaurants
Château de Bagnols
Five-star moated château-hotel in the heart of Pierres Dorées country. chateaudebagnols.co.uk
L’Auberge du Château
Combine Yannick Bourgeois- Faucon’s retour du marché menu at his Bully auberge with a wander through the Pierres Dorées villages. aubergedu-chateau.com
Auberge de Corcelles
Village inn packed with locals drawn by the Japanese chef’s great value three-course lunch menu. Tel: +33 (0)4 74 60 65 87
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Domaine du Clos des Garands
B&B in a Beaujolais manor house outside Fleurie with four spacious rooms decorated with French chic. closdesgarands.fr
La Poularde
Stylish, four-course menu by Olivier Muguet in his minimalist-chic, one-star bistro at La Chapelle-de- Guinchay. lapoularde.free.fr
Domaine de la Chapelle de Vâtre
Three rooms and a self-catering apartment at this stone property in the foothills of the Monts de Beaujolais at Jullié, with views out over the vineyards. vatre.com
Auberge du Paradis
Inventive, no-choice tasting menu from Cyril and Valérie Lignier at their one-star Michelin auberge in St-Amour which has a terrace and a pool. aubergeduparadis.fr
Shops
Huilerie Beaujolaise
Jean-Marc Montegottero’s boutique in Beaujeu sells pressed oils (walnut, hazelnut, pistachio, pine nut, rapeseed and sesame), favoured by top French chefs. huilerie-beaujolaise.com
La Croisée des Vins
Friendly advice from this Belleville shop owned by négociant Louis Tête, with Beaujolais bottlings plus regional French wines. Tel: +33 (0)4 74 66 17 18
Le Hameau du Vin
Amid Beaujolais, there are cuvées worth attention at Duboeuf’s wine centre in Romanéche-Thorins. Let the audioguide take you through didactic displays, the winery and the botanical garden, ending up in the bistro. hameauduvin.com
Vinea Bourgogne-Beaujolais
If your dream is to own a vineyard (or château or manor house surrounded by vines), this estate agent in Belleville has the pick of the crop. Tel: +33 (0)4 74 66 47 81
Tourist trail
Beaujolais apps
Free iPhone and iPad downloads (tourist trails, Beaujolais Wine Route, interviews with winemakers) from iTunes. h/itunes.apple.com/fr/app/zevisit-magazine
Fête des Crus
Street party held in spring that rotates between the villages of the 10 crus (this year 7-8 May in Fleurie). fetedescrus-beaujolais.com
Hôtel-Dieu
Once Belleville’s hospital for the poor, now a museum with alcove beds, apothecary with ceramic collection and wooden cabinets full of linen. rhonetourisme.com
La Voie Verte
The old railway line from Belleville to Beaujeu is reborn as a stunning route at the foot of the vineyards. ot-beaujolaisvaldesaone.fr
Cadoles et Sens
Association to preserve the 18thcentury cone-shaped, dry-stone vineyard huts (cadoles). Themed/ guided walks, with picnic basket and wine tasting built in. www.cadolesetsens.fr
Sue Style is into food, wine and travel and writes about all three – sometimes separately, often in combination. She comes originally from Yorkshire and has migrated over the years to London, Madrid, Fontainebleau, Mexico City and Basel. She lives in southern Alsace, within spitting distance of the region’s vineyards and conveniently placed for cross-border raids into Switzerland and across the Rhine to Baden/Germany, both of whose wines and food she explores at every opportunity. She also travels regularly to Catalunya, where both her children have had the good taste to settle. She's the author of nine books on subjects ranging from Mexican food through the food and wines of Alsace and of Switzerland to creative vegetable cookery.