Belleville-en-Beaujolais France
Frequently Asked Questions
At a quay on the Saône, a few minutes' walk from the town. The commune lies about 40 kilometres upstream from Lyon, on the way to Mâcon.
Because it is the most convenient gateway to the Beaujolais vineyards. To the west, rounded hills under vines; to the east, the Saône plain and, on a clear day, the line of the Alps.
A twelfth-century abbey church founded by the lords of Beaujeu, surprisingly large for a town this size: Romanesque portal, carved capitals, tall nave. Next door, the eighteenth-century Hôtel-Dieu keeps its ward with enclosed beds and its apothecary lined with faience jars.
Twelve, including ten crus: Brouilly, Morgon, Fleurie, Juliénas, Chiroubles and their neighbours. There is a single grape, gamay noir, giving fruity wines drunk cool in the cellars of the surrounding villages.
Yes. Several river lines arrange a visit to an estate with a guided tasting. The curious learn to tell a granite cru from a schist cru, glass in hand.
A hill about ten kilometres from the quay, topped by a votive chapel built by the growers in the nineteenth century to protect the harvest. The summit gives a full circle over the vines, the steeples and the Saône valley: the best place to grasp the region's geography at a glance.
A thirty-thousand square metre park devoted to the vine, at Romanèche-Thorins about ten kilometres away: a period railway station, old presses, an ampelographic garden and family attractions. Two hours pass quickly there, even for non-wine-lovers.
The historic capital of the province, tucked into its valley, which gave the whole region its name. It keeps its half-timbered houses around the church of Saint-Nicolas. It is a short excursion, best combined with a tasting.
The town itself is quiet and takes ten minutes to walk; the draw for children is really the Hameau Duboeuf, which has attractions for them. A call built around tastings will not suit young travellers.
The euro and French. Cards work in shops and most tasting cellars; a little cash is handy at the smallest estates.
