Vineyards and Wine from Lyon: A Day in the Beaujolais Crus from Boscolo Lyon

Lyon as the gateway to three major wine regions: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Burgundy

Few French cities offer this vinous geography. From Boscolo Lyon, you are 30 kilometres from the first Beaujolais crus, 70 kilometres from the Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu appellations to the south (northern Côtes du Rhône), and 120 kilometres from the first Burgundy vineyards to the north.

This unique position makes Lyon the ideal base for a wine-focused stay, not a city you pass through on the way to the vines, but a centre of gravity from which every direction is possible.

The Beaujolais remains the first excursion to make from Lyon, for reasons of proximity and diversity: 10 appellations, villages that can be explored in a single day, and wines that resemble nothing else in France.

Beaujolais beyond the Nouveau: the 10 crus you may not know yet

Beaujolais Nouveau did the region both a favour and a disservice simultaneously. It made the name known worldwide, and it convinced many people that Beaujolais was drunk in November and thrown away in December.

The reality is more interesting. Beaujolais produces 10 appellation crus that have nothing to do with the Nouveau, wines that can age, complex, each with a distinct terroir and its own personality.

Morgon is often the first to surprise those arriving with preconceptions: structured, almost Burgundian in its best years, it can age for 10 years. Moulin-à-Vent is the most powerful and most sought-after cru, frequently compared to a Burgundy Pinot Noir. Fleurie is the most seductive, the most aromatic, the one recommended for a first encounter with cru Beaujolais. Brouilly is the largest in surface area, the most accessible. Chénas is the most confidential, very little produced, rarely found outside the region.

The other five crus, Chiroubles, Juliénas, Régnié, Saint-Amour, and Chénas, complete a panorama that justifies several days of exploration on its own.

What to taste and what to bring back

At the estates, ask to taste the Morgon first, it is the one that most easily convinces sceptics. If the winemaker opens a bottle that is 5 or 8 years old, even better.

To bring back to Lyon: an aged Moulin-à-Vent (to keep), a recent Fleurie (to drink within the week with a dinner at Angelo), and if you find a Chénas from a small producer, it deserves a place in your bag.

The local markets of Beaujolais villages are also an opportunity to find regional cheeses, charcuterie, and terrines that pair beautifully with the wines on a domaine terrace.