French bistros are known as lively gathering places, serving up both traditional French cuisine and modern fare, and for their excellent wine lists.  Walk into any bistros in France, and it won’t take you long to find a Beaujolais on their wine list. This versatile wine is popular because it’s affordable and will pair well with the variety of dishes ordered by everyone around the table.

The vineyards of Beaujolais Villages are planted in granite soils, on a series of rolling hills just South of Mâconnais. Grapes were hand-harvested from 47-year old vines before undergoing semi-carbonic maceration. The result is a charming, fruity and affordable wine.

Vignerons de Bel-Air Beaujolais Villages “Signature” has an intense ruby colour, with fragrant strawberry, raspberry and red cherry on the nose. It’s lively and supple on the palate with rich, ripe fruit flavours but well-balanced and not overdone. Persistent finish.

“The string of very good to outstanding vintages for Beaujolais continues apace. There has never been a better time to explore this region’s delicious, approachable wines, especially considering the seemingly endless, often steep, price hikes for most wines from other historically pedigreed regions across the globe. Admittedly, prices have been steadily going up since the watershed 2009 vintage, whose across-the-board quality and fruit-driven, crossover appeal launched a new generation of Beaujolais aficionados.” Josh Raynolds on Beaujolais, Vinous Media