La Cour du Beaujolais (Macon) ★ 4.3
22 by the glassMacon
A Macon wine lounge at the Beaujolais-Maconnais border, serving both Cru Gamay and Pouilly-Fuissé Chardonnay by the glass.
The list: A Macon wine lounge serving both Beaujolais Cru and Maconnais Chardonnay by the glass in a comfortable bar setting; one of the few venues where both wine cultures meet in a single glass list
Tip: Macon sits at the boundary between the Beaujolais and the Maconnais; La Cour du Beaujolais is the most direct way to compare a Moulin-a-Vent Gamay with a Pouilly-Fuissé Chardonnay in one sitting.
Maison des Vins (Macvin du Jura pours) ★ 3.8
6 by the glassBelleville-en-Beaujolais zone
The Inter Beaujolais visitor centre with a limited but contextually interesting selection of regional eaux-de-vie and cross-border Macvin du Jura.
The list: The Inter Beaujolais visitor centre occasionally stocks regional eaux-de-vie from the Beaujolais and neighbouring Burgundy alongside Macvin du Jura from the nearby Jura region; the fortified offer is modest but the context is the most interesting cross-regional tasting room in the area
Tip: The Beaujolais itself produces very little fortified wine; the best fortified option in the area is Macvin du Jura (marc-and-grape-juice mistelle) poured at specialist shops in Macon.
Domaine Lapierre harvest-week cellar tasting ★ 4.9
8 by the glassMorgon
A pre-arranged harvest-week evening tasting at Domaine Lapierre in Villié-Morgon, covering fermenting new juice and previous-vintage Morgon.
The list: During harvest (typically the third and fourth week of September), Domaine Lapierre occasionally receives pre-arranged evening visitors for a cellar tasting of the fermenting new juice alongside previous-vintage bottlings
Tip: Harvest-week cellar access at Lapierre is extremely limited and requires advance arrangement months before the season; allocations sell out quickly.
Caveau de Morgon late pour (summer evenings) ★ 4.4
20 by the glassMorgon
Extended evening summer hours at the Morgon appellation caveau, offering late-finish Cru Morgon flights for visitors completing their domaine circuit.
The list: The Morgon appellation's official caveau in Château de Fontcrenne extends its evening opening during the summer season, offering late-finish Morgon flights by the glass for visitors arriving after domaine visits
Tip: Check the summer opening calendar on the Beaujolais wine board site; the extended evening hours run from June to September and are the most reliable late-tasting venue in the northern Cru belt.
Nouveau Release midnight pour (region-wide) ★ 4.6
Region-wide
The annual Nouveau midnight release pour, an open late-night wine event in the Beaujolais, happening simultaneously across all villages on the third Thursday of November.
The list: On the third Thursday of November at midnight, wineries, caveau producers, and village bars across the Beaujolais open for the simultaneous Nouveau release, offering an open all-night tasting event in the French wine calendar
Tip: Be in Beaujeu, Villié-Morgon, or Fleurie village for midnight; the in-village experience of the Sarmentelles night and Nouveau pour is genuine and memorable, unlike the international bar-event version.
Lyon bouchon late Beaujolais service ★ 4.7
Lyon Vieux-Lyon and Presqu'ile
Lyon bouchon late service, the traditional working-restaurant Beaujolais experience in the city that invented the pot lyonnais and the culture of drinking Gamay at midnight.
The list: The Lyon bouchons, the city's traditional working restaurants, serve Beaujolais late into the night from the pot lyonnais, the 46 cl bottle that has been the vehicle for Gamay in Lyon for three centuries; late sittings go until midnight on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Tip: A late bouchon sitting on the Thursday of Nouveau release is the most authentic Lyon wine experience of the year; the bouchon tradition serves Beaujolais from pots, not glasses, so order for the table.