Issue 1: Unknown Beaujolais
Beyond gamay. Actually, no, it's still gamay.
Here’s the first issue of the Not Drinking Poison Newsletter. Ta-da!
It’s November, so I thought it would be nice to theme it around the Beaujolais, a region dear to my heart, practically my second home. I owe much of what I know about wine to its insanely close-knit community of outsize personalities.
As you might have noticed, the release of Beaujolais Nouveau this year will be rather more subdued than usual. It may not be the most catastrophic effect of COVID. But it’s another bummer in a bumper year for bummers. Most of all for the vignerons of the Beaujolais.
So grab a bottle of gamay and enjoy a foray into UNKNOWN BEAUJOLAIS.
A first-ever (I think?) interview with influential natural wine oenologist YANN ROHEL.
A profile of Moulin-à-Vent rising star ELISA GUERIN.
A profile of radical Beaujeu vigneron ROMUALD VALOT.
An article on REMI DUFAITRE’s new wine bar and gourmet shop EPICERIE.
An article on DEBORAH BLANK, the baker saving the Beaujolais from white flour.
An essay contribution from New York sommelière turned Lantignié vigneronne MICHELE SMITH, on how to survive as a vegetarian in the Beaujolais.
A preview of GUY BRETON’s first white wine.
A survey of all the NATURAL BEAUJOLAIS PRIMEURS I managed to taste before my CAR BROKE DOWN in Villié-Morgon.
My car, at time of writing, is still at the garage in Villié-Morgon. Wish me luck.
-Aaron