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What Is Beaujolais Wine? A Complete Guide to Its Grapes, Styles, and Crus

Beaujolais is a French wine produced in the Beaujolais region, primarily from Gamay grapes. It is known for vivid fruit, refreshing acidity, modest tannins, and styles ranging from youthful Beaujolais Nouveau to structured, age-worthy cru wines.

The name refers to both the wine region north of Lyon and the protected wines produced there. Most Beaujolais is red, but the region also makes smaller quantities of rosé from Gamay and white wine from Chardonnay.

Beaujolais is frequently associated with inexpensive Nouveau released shortly after harvest, but that is only one expression of a much broader region. Its ten cru appellations can produce complex, site-driven wines capable of developing for years. Whether bringing a bottle to a picnic, dinner, or wine tasting, custom wine tote bags offer a convenient and stylish way to carry it.

Understanding its grapes, classifications, and regional differences makes it easier to choose the right Beaujolais for any meal or occasion.

Key Takeaways

Beaujolais is produced in eastern France, primarily from the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grape.
Most red Beaujolais is dry, fruit-forward, high in acidity, and low to moderate in tannin.
The region contains 12 appellations: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and ten individual crus.
Beaujolais Nouveau is an early-release wine, not a complete representation of the region.
Lighter bottles benefit from a slight chill, while structured cru wines can be served less cold and may improve with age.

What Makes a Wine Beaujolais?

Beaujolais is a place-specific wine, not a generic name for every light red made from Gamay. To carry a Beaujolais appellation on its label, a wine must come from the legally defined production area and satisfy the applicable French appellation requirements.

The word can have three related meanings:

Beaujolais region: The winegrowing area between the Mâconnais and Lyon.
Beaujolais AOC: The broad regional appellation covering red, rosé, and white wines.
Beaujolais wine: A general expression that can include Beaujolais AOC, Beaujolais-Villages, and the ten crus.

Red wine dominates regional production and is based on Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, usually shortened to Gamay. Rosé Beaujolais also comes from Gamay. Beaujolais Blanc is made from Chardonnay.

A Gamay produced in Oregon, Canada, Australia, or another part of France may resemble Beaujolais, but it cannot legally become Beaujolais merely because it uses the same grape.

Where Is the Beaujolais Wine Region?

Beaujolais lies in eastern France, beginning south of the Mâconnais and extending toward Lyon. Its vineyards cross portions of the Rhône and Saône-et-Loire departments.

The region is commonly associated with Burgundy, or Bourgogne, because of its geographic, historical, and commercial connections. However, Beaujolais has its own defining grape, landscapes, appellations, traditions, and regional identity. Describing it only as “southern Burgundy” is geographically useful but culturally and stylistically incomplete.

Northern and Southern Beaujolais

A simplified division between northern and southern Beaujolais helps explain the region, although its geology is considerably more intricate.

Northern Beaujolais contains steep hills and extensive granite-based formations. Beaujolais-Villages and all ten cru appellations are concentrated in this area. Gamay grown on these sites can develop floral aromas, concentrated fruit, mineral character, and enough tannic structure for aging.

Southern Beaujolais has gentler, rolling terrain and a greater presence of clay, limestone, sandstone, and sedimentary soils. Much of the wine labeled simply Beaujolais comes from this broader southern area.

Soil alone does not determine a wine’s quality or character. Elevation, slope, sunlight exposure, drainage, vine age, farming methods, yields, vintage conditions, and winemaking decisions also influence the finished wine.

Climate and Vineyard Conditions

Beaujolais experiences continental weather combined with warmer influences moving north through the Rhône corridor. Summers can be warm, but elevation, wind, and vineyard exposure help preserve acidity in many sites.

The region’s hills create numerous mesoclimates. Two nearby vineyards may receive different amounts of morning sunlight, afternoon heat, wind, and rainfall. These variations help explain how the same Gamay grape can produce wines ranging from delicate and floral to concentrated and structured.

Many vineyards are also physically demanding to farm. Approximately 3,000 hectares are planted on slopes exceeding 30%, where machinery can be difficult or impossible to use. These steep sites require substantial manual labor throughout the growing season and harvest.

What Grape Is Beaujolais Made From?

Red and rosé Beaujolais are made principally from Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, commonly shortened to Gamay. The full name identifies it as a dark-skinned grape with pale juice and distinguishes it from other varieties historically associated with the Gamay name.

Why Gamay Works in Beaujolais

Gamay naturally produces many of the characteristics associated with Beaujolais:

Bright red and black fruit flavors
Fresh acidity
Moderate alcohol
Relatively gentle tannins
Floral and peppery aromas
Clear differences based on terroir and winemaking methods

Gamay is sometimes considered a simple grape because it can produce light, uncomplicated young wines. However, this reflects a particular production style rather than the grape’s full potential. Low-yielding vines grown on suitable sites can produce concentrated, structured wines with complex aromas and significant aging potential.

White Beaujolais

Beaujolais Blanc is made from Chardonnay rather than Gamay. Depending on the vineyard’s location and compliance with appellation requirements, it may be labeled Beaujolais Blanc or Beaujolais-Villages Blanc.

White wine remains a small but increasingly visible part of regional production. In 2023, it represented approximately 4% of the region’s wine output, involving 574 harvested hectares and around 450 producers. Production included approximately 2.3 million bottles of Beaujolais Blanc and 930,000 bottles of Beaujolais-Villages Blanc.

Styles vary, but common aromas and flavors include apple, pear, citrus, and white flowers. The wines typically have refreshing acidity with either a mineral or gently rounded finish.

Beaujolais Rosé

Beaujolais rosé is made from Gamay and typically offers strawberry, raspberry, citrus, and floral notes supported by crisp acidity. Production is limited compared with red Beaujolais, making these rosé wines less widely available outside France.

What Does Beaujolais Wine Taste Like?

A typical red Beaujolais is dry, aromatic, fruit-forward, and refreshing. Its precise character depends on its appellation, vineyard site, vintage, and production method.

Common aromas and flavors include:

Wild strawberry
Raspberry
Red cherry
Cranberry
Blackberry
Black cherry
Violet
Peony
Rose
Black pepper
Licorice
Dried herbs
Earth and forest floor

Lighter styles generally emphasize juicy red fruit and flowers, while more structured wines may develop darker fruit, spice, mineral, earthy, and savory characteristics.

Is Beaujolais Sweet or Dry?

Nearly all still red Beaujolais sold in wine shops and restaurants is dry. The ripe strawberry, cherry, and candy-like aromas found in some bottles can create an impression of sweetness even when little residual sugar remains.

Fruitiness describes a wine’s aromas and flavors, while sweetness refers to the amount of perceptible sugar. A Beaujolais can therefore taste intensely fruity without being sweet.

Body, Acidity, and Tannin

Many Beaujolais wines are light to medium-bodied, with lively acidity and low tannin. This description particularly suits Beaujolais Nouveau and many regional wines intended for early drinking.

Cru Beaujolais can be considerably more structured. Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, Côte de Brouilly, Chénas, and some Juliénas wines may offer firmer tannins, greater concentration, and a longer finish.

Beaujolais should therefore be understood as a spectrum rather than a single uniform style. Its lightest, freshest expressions can taste significantly different from its concentrated and age-worthy cru wines.

Where Do Banana and Bubblegum Aromas Come From?

Banana, bubblegum, candied strawberry, and other confectionery aromas can develop during certain rapid, warm, or yeast-influenced fermentations. They are particularly associated with young wines produced to emphasize immediate fruit and aromatic intensity.

These aromas do not define every Gamay or carbonically macerated wine. More complex Beaujolais may instead emphasize cherry, flowers, pepper, herbs, stone, earth, and savory notes without displaying pronounced candy-like flavors.

The Beaujolais Classification System Explained

Beaujolais contains 12 appellations:

Beaujolais AOC
Beaujolais-Villages AOC
Ten individual cru appellations

The system is often presented as a simple quality pyramid, but that interpretation requires some qualification. A skilled producer can make excellent Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages, while a cru name does not automatically guarantee careful farming, accomplished winemaking, or superior quality.

Beaujolais AOC

The broadest regional appellation
Produces red, rosé, and white wines
Red wines commonly feature fresh berries, flowers, and lively acidity
Usually has a soft, approachable texture
Often intended for early drinking
Quality and aging potential still depend on the producer and vintage

Beaujolais-Villages AOC

Comes from a delimited group of communes, primarily in northern Beaujolais
Generally associated with hillier vineyards and granite-rich soils
Often provides greater concentration and definition than basic Beaujolais
Can range from light and floral to deep and structured
May approach cru Beaujolais in complexity, depending on the site and producer

“Villages” indicates geographic origin rather than one specific flavor or winemaking style.

Cru Beaujolais

Comes from one of ten individually recognized appellations in northern Beaujolais
Represents the most geographically specific level of the classification system
Has defined boundaries and a distinct regional identity
Can offer greater concentration, structure, complexity, and aging potential
Often displays the cru name more prominently than “Beaujolais” on the label

Unlike the vineyard hierarchy of the Côte d’Or, a Beaujolais cru generally refers to an entire named appellation rather than one officially ranked vineyard.

Is Beaujolais Nouveau a Separate Appellation?

No. Beaujolais Nouveau is an early-release wine category, not an independent appellation or an eleventh cru.

It can be labeled as:

Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau

Wine from the ten cru appellations cannot be sold under a cru name as Nouveau. Nouveau is produced and released quickly for immediate enjoyment, while many traditionally matured Beaujolais wines offer greater structure, complexity, and aging potential.

The Ten Crus of Beaujolais

The ten crus are located in northern Beaujolais. Their traditional style descriptions offer useful guidance, but vineyard conditions, vintage, and winemaking choices can create significant differences within each appellation.

Saint-Amour: The northernmost Beaujolais cru is known for bright red fruit and floral aromas. Lighter examples are delicate and refreshing, while more structured versions may show cherry, spice, stone, and firmer tannins. It pairs well with roast chicken, pork tenderloin, pâté, and mushroom dishes.
Juliénas: Juliénas commonly produces robust, spicy Gamay with red and dark fruit, flowers, and earthy or mineral notes. Its varied granite, schist, and sedimentary soils contribute to a broad range of expressions. Serve it with sausages, grilled pork, duck, or lentil dishes.
Chénas: The smallest of the ten crus by vineyard area, Chénas is less widely available but can offer impressive perfume and structure. Typical characteristics include peony, rose, red berries, spice, and subtle woodland notes, while stronger examples can age well. Pair it with roast duck, charcuterie, veal, or earthy vegetables.
Moulin-à-Vent: Moulin-à-Vent is among the most structured and age-worthy Beaujolais crus. Young wines may show cherry, violet, blackcurrant, and spice, while mature bottles can develop dried rose, undergrowth, truffle, and savory complexity. It pairs well with duck breast, lamb, mushroom dishes, and aged cheese.
Fleurie: Fleurie is known for its perfume, elegance, and supple texture, with common notes of violet, rose, raspberry, strawberry, and red cherry. Although often described as delicate, some examples have considerable depth and structure. Try it with roast poultry, pork, salmon, or soft-ripened cheese.
Chiroubles: Chiroubles contains some of the region’s highest vineyards and commonly produces fragrant, light-bodied wines. Its bright acidity, fresh red fruit, and floral character make it an accessible introduction to cru Beaujolais. Serve it with charcuterie, grilled chicken, tuna, or vegetable terrine.
Morgon: Morgon is recognized for depth, savory complexity, and aging potential. It commonly offers sour cherry, dark fruit, violet, earth, and mineral notes, which can become increasingly savory as the wine matures. It complements beef stew, duck, game birds, mushrooms, and hard cheese.
Régnié: Recognized as a cru in 1988, Régnié is the newest of the ten appellations. It often combines raspberry and cherry flavors with floral aromas, spice, and a rounded texture. Pair it with roast pork, chicken, terrines, or tomato-based dishes.
Brouilly: Brouilly is the largest cru by vineyard area and produces a wide variety of styles because of its diverse soils and broad growing area. Many examples are fresh, generous, and fruit-driven, with plum, raspberry, cherry, spice, and subtle mineral notes. It works well with burgers, sausages, roast chicken, pizza, and picnic foods.
Côte de Brouilly: Côte de Brouilly occupies the slopes of Mont Brouilly and is geographically distinct from the surrounding Brouilly appellation. Its wines often combine blue and red fruit with pepper, flowers, firm structure, and a stony finish. Serve it with duck, pork, grilled mushrooms, or lentils.

How Is Beaujolais Wine Made?

The common claim that all Beaujolais is made through carbonic maceration is an oversimplification. Winemakers use carbonic, semi-carbonic, traditional, and hybrid methods depending on the desired fruit expression, structure, and aging potential.

Carbonic Maceration

During full carbonic maceration, intact grape bunches or berries are placed in a sealed vessel filled with carbon dioxide. The oxygen-free environment triggers fermentation processes inside the uncrushed grapes.

This method emphasizes fresh fruit and aromatic intensity while limiting tannin extraction from the grape skins and seeds. The grapes are eventually pressed, and yeast completes the alcoholic fermentation of the remaining juice.

Semi-Carbonic Maceration

Semi-carbonic maceration is particularly important in Beaujolais. Whole grape bunches are placed in a fermentation vessel, but carbon dioxide is not necessarily added to the tank.

The weight of the grapes crushes some of the fruit at the bottom. The released juice begins fermenting and naturally produces carbon dioxide, creating an increasingly oxygen-free environment around the intact grapes above it.

This technique preserves fragrant whole-berry characteristics while allowing more extraction, texture, and structural variation than full carbonic maceration.

Traditional and Hybrid Methods

Modern Beaujolais winemaking is diverse. Depending on the intended style, a producer may:

Destem all or part of the harvested grapes
Retain complete grape bunches
Use a shorter or longer maceration period
Ferment with native or selected yeasts
Use concrete, stainless steel, or wooden vessels
Mature the wine in tanks, large wooden vessels, or barrels
Blend fruit from multiple vineyard parcels
Bottle the wine with or without filtration

Longer maceration and maturation generally create more tannin, texture, and savory complexity. Shorter production methods tend to preserve immediate fruit, floral aromas, and freshness. Neither approach guarantees higher quality because the final result depends on the grapes, vineyard, vintage, and winemaker’s execution.

What Is Beaujolais Nouveau?

Beaujolais Nouveau is a vin de primeur, meaning a wine released during the same year in which its grapes were harvested. It is designed to celebrate the new vintage rather than long maturation.

When Is Beaujolais Nouveau Released?

Beaujolais Nouveau is released on the third Thursday of November. The international celebration is commonly called Beaujolais Nouveau Day.

The wine reaches the market only weeks after harvest. Its rapid production emphasizes fermentation management, immediate fruit, and early bottling.

What Does Beaujolais Nouveau Taste Like?

Common characteristics include:

Strawberry
Raspberry
Red cherry
Grape
Banana
Bubblegum
Flowers
Very soft tannin

Not every bottle displays all these aromas. Producer, yeast, fruit condition, fermentation temperature, and cellar decisions make a difference.

Can Beaujolais Nouveau Age?

Nouveau is generally intended for prompt consumption. Most bottles are best enjoyed during the months following release, when their fresh fruit is most expressive.

Keeping Nouveau longer is not inherently unsafe if the bottle has been stored correctly, but aging usually does not improve the style. It lacks the concentration and structure expected from cellar-oriented cru Beaujolais.

Nouveau Is Not the Whole Region

Judging all Beaujolais by Nouveau is comparable to judging every Italian red by the youngest wine released after harvest. Nouveau is a seasonal tradition with a specific purpose. It does not define the region’s full quality or stylistic range.

Can Cru Beaujolais Age?

Yes. Properly made cru Beaujolais can age, although not every bottle is intended for long cellaring.

Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon have the strongest general reputations for extended development. Structured examples from Chénas, Côte de Brouilly, Juliénas, and other crus can also mature successfully.

A practical framework is:

Beaujolais Nouveau: Drink soon after release.
Beaujolais and lighter Beaujolais-Villages: Often best within one to three years.
Fruit-forward cru Beaujolais: Frequently enjoyable within two to five years.
Structured cru from strong producers: May develop for five to ten years or longer.

These are guidelines, not expiration dates. Vintage, producer, vineyard, closure, transport, and storage can matter more than the appellation’s reputation.

With age, fresh raspberry and violet may evolve into dried cherry, rose, spice, leather, earth, mushroom, and forest-floor aromas.

What Food Goes With Beaujolais?

Beaujolais is a versatile food wine because its refreshing acidity and gentle tannins complement many dishes without overwhelming delicate flavors.

Poultry: Pair Beaujolais with roast chicken, turkey, or duck. Beaujolais-Villages, Fleurie, Brouilly, and Régnié work especially well with holiday meals.
Charcuterie: Its acidity balances sausages, pâté, cured meats, rillettes, and terrines. Try a lightly chilled Beaujolais or Chiroubles with a charcuterie board.
Fish: Low-tannin Beaujolais can complement grilled salmon, seared tuna, trout, and sardines. Avoid heavily oaked or highly structured wines with delicate seafood.
Vegetarian dishes: Pair it with mushrooms, lentils, roasted vegetables, grilled eggplant, vegetable tarts, or bean stews. Choose Morgon for earthy dishes and Fleurie for lighter preparations.
Cheese: Beaujolais pairs well with Brie, Camembert, goat cheese, Comté, and Gruyère. Strong blue cheeses may overpower lighter styles.
Spicy food: Lighter Beaujolais can accompany Korean barbecue, spiced pork, grilled skewers, and moderately spicy dishes. Avoid high-alcohol styles with intense chili heat.

How to Serve Beaujolais

Should Beaujolais Be Chilled?

Most Beaujolais benefits from being served slightly chilled, but it should not be made refrigerator-cold.

Useful serving ranges are:

Beaujolais Nouveau and rosé: Approximately 10 to 12°C or 50 to 54°F
Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages: Approximately 11 to 13°C or 52 to 55°F
Cru Beaujolais: Approximately 12 to 15°C or 54 to 59°F

Serving wine too warm can make alcohol seem prominent and fruit less precise. Serving it too cold can suppress aroma and make acidity feel sharper.

Place a room-temperature bottle in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes, then adjust according to the wine and environment.

What Glass Should You Use?

A medium-sized red wine glass with a narrowing rim works well. A Pinot Noir or Burgundy-style glass can help an aromatic cru open, but an extremely large bowl is unnecessary for simple Nouveau.

The glass should provide enough surface area for aromas to develop while directing them toward the nose.

Does Beaujolais Need Decanting?

Most Nouveau and straightforward regional Beaujolais do not need decanting.

A young, structured Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent may benefit from 30 to 60 minutes of air. Older bottles should be handled carefully because prolonged exposure can cause delicate aromas to fade.

How Long Does an Open Bottle Last?

An open bottle generally remains enjoyable for two to four days when resealed and refrigerated. Delicate Nouveau may lose freshness sooner, while a structured cru may remain expressive longer.

Allow refrigerated red wine to warm slightly before serving it again.

How to Choose a Bottle of Beaujolais

The best choice depends on whether you want immediacy, perfume, food-pairing versatility, or aging potential.

Choose by Occasion

Casual gathering: Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages
Seasonal celebration: Beaujolais Nouveau
Light summer meal: Chiroubles, Fleurie, or Beaujolais rosé
Roast dinner: Régnié, Brouilly, or Juliénas
Cellaring or a serious meal: Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, or Côte de Brouilly

Read the Appellation

A cru name provides more geographic precision than “Beaujolais,” but the appellation is only the beginning. Producer, vineyard, vintage, and winemaking approach remain decisive.

Identify the Producer

Labels may represent:

Domaine or estate: Typically grows grapes and produces wine from its holdings.
Château: An estate name, not necessarily proof of a grand building or superior quality.
Négociant: Purchases grapes, must, or wine and may blend, mature, and bottle it.
Cooperative: Produces wine from grapes supplied by multiple growers.

All four models can make good wine. Producer reputation is more informative than the business category alone.

Understand Common Label Terms

Nouveau: Released shortly after harvest.
Villages: From the delimited Beaujolais-Villages area.
Vieilles Vignes: “Old vines,” but the phrase does not have one universal age threshold.
Mis en bouteille au domaine: Bottled at the estate.
Climat or lieu-dit: A named vineyard area or locality, not necessarily an officially ranked site.
Non filtré: Unfiltered, which does not by itself determine quality.

Is Beaujolais a Burgundy Wine?

Beaujolais is often included within broader discussions of Burgundy, particularly in English-language wine education and commerce. Geographically, it lies immediately south of the Mâconnais.

However, Beaujolais has its own interprofessional organization, defining grape variety, appellations, geology, history, and cultural identity. The most accurate short explanation is that Beaujolais is closely connected to Burgundy but functions as a distinct wine region.

Beaujolais is also not a Rhône wine. Although much of the region lies in the Rhône department and its southern boundary approaches Lyon, its appellations and Gamay tradition are separate from Côtes-du-Rhône.

Common Myths About Beaujolais

“All Beaujolais Is Nouveau”

Nouveau is only one category. Regional, village, and cru wines can be more concentrated, structured, and age-worthy.

“Beaujolais Is Sweet”

Most Beaujolais is dry. Strong fruit aromas can create a false impression of sweetness.

“Carbonic Maceration Makes Every Wine Taste Like Banana”

Banana-like aromas can result from particular fermentation conditions and yeast activity. They are neither inevitable nor universal.

“Cru Beaujolais Cannot Age”

Structured wines from strong sites and producers can develop for many years. Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon are especially well known for this ability.

“Cru Beaujolais Is Always Better”

Cru status identifies geographic origin and a more specific appellation. It does not replace producer skill, healthy grapes, careful transport, or proper storage.

Why Beaujolais Matters in Modern Wine

Beaujolais aligns with growing interest in fresh, aromatic, lower-tannin red wines. Gamay delivers immediate fruit and drinkability while still expressing differences in soil, elevation, vineyard exposure, and winemaking. The ten crus also provide an accessible introduction to terroir-driven French wine.

The region continues to evolve. White Beaujolais is becoming more visible, while growers are paying greater attention to individual vineyard parcels, soil health, organic viticulture, regenerative farming, and restrained extraction.

Beaujolais is also closely associated with low-intervention and natural winemaking. However, these terms do not automatically indicate quality. Healthy fruit, careful farming, clean production, balance, and stability remain essential.

Heat, drought, hail, disease, and irregular rainfall increasingly affect yields, grape quality, and harvest timing. Difficult conditions during the 2025 growing season resulted in historically low regional yields, reinforcing the importance of considering the vintage and producer when choosing a bottle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Pronounce Beaujolais?

Beaujolais is pronounced approximately “boh-zhuh-LAY,” with the strongest emphasis on the final syllable. The final “s” is silent.

What Is the Typical Alcohol Content of Beaujolais?

Most Beaujolais contains approximately 11% to 13.5% alcohol by volume. The exact percentage depends on the appellation, vintage, grape ripeness, and winemaking approach.

How Should an Unopened Bottle of Beaujolais Be Stored?

Store unopened Beaujolais in a cool, dark place with a stable temperature and minimal vibration. Bottles sealed with natural cork should be kept on their sides to help prevent the cork from drying out.

Can You Cook With Beaujolais Wine?

Yes. Beaujolais works well in sauces, stews, braised dishes, and reductions because of its bright acidity and gentle tannins. Use a dry, affordable bottle that you would also be comfortable drinking.

Is Beaujolais Vegan?

Some Beaujolais wines are vegan, but not all. Winemakers may use animal-derived fining agents during production, so check the label or confirm with the producer before purchasing.

Understanding Beaujolais Beyond Nouveau

Beaujolais is not one light, candy-scented wine released every November. It is a geographically diverse French region capable of producing youthful, uncomplicated reds, fragrant village wines, expressive rosés, Chardonnay-based whites, and cru Gamay with genuine structure and aging potential.

The best way to understand it is to taste across the appellations. Begin with Beaujolais-Villages, compare a floral Fleurie with a stony Côte de Brouilly, and then explore the deeper structure of Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent. That progression reveals why Beaujolais can be easy to enjoy without being simple to define.

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Adam Nicholls

Director at Wine Compass Australia Pty Ltd

Adam founded Wine Compass in 2013 after deciding to combine his love of wine & wine tours with his background in digital marketing. He loves exploring wine regions with his wife and daughters in his spare time