By Kareasa Wilkins

I haven’t drunk Beaujolais in awhile. When I was first learning about wine, I always felt like Gamay (the grape in Beaujolais wines) was kind of a pedestrian grape–light and, well, grapey, it just seemed like the purple Otter Pop of wine. But as I tried more and more Cru Beaujolais (Gamay at its best from one of the top 10 villages in the region), I found that Gamay could be quite charming…exciting, even. Depending on the village and the producer, Cru Beaujolais can exhibit bright red fruit, spiciness, and exotic flowers; some even have enough tannin and structure to age. So tonight when I was at my local wine shop looking for something to go with my turducken sausage from Smokey Ridge Charcouterie, I decided to put Gamay back on the table.  I opted for the Domaine des Nazins Brouilly. I really don’t have much experience with Brouilly, even though it’s the largest of the Beaujolais Villages. I tend to buy wines from Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent on a more regular basis, but I figured it was worth a shot. I have to be honest, when I first opened the wine it was a real snoozer–totally closed on the nose, with just a slight earthy character. However, as the evening went on, it opened up to reveal a pretty floral nose and some dark cherry on the palate. It was a light bodied wine, which is relatively typical of Gamay, but the acidity was nice enough to cut through the grease of the turducken sausage. The turducken sausage, arugula cranberry & persimmon salad, and mashed butternut squash made a nice prequel to Thanksgiving, and while not mind-blowing, the Domaine des Nazins Brouilly was a fine accompaniment to it.