In the 1970's whenever a new customer came into my Railway Arch at Windsor they would always ask if I had any Beaujolais.

Always! Every ruddy time! Drove me mad. So I would always say no, sorry, I didn't, I had something much fruitier... And cheaper; usually a young Grenache from further south... where the sun shone more.

It upset me that Beaujolais back then was the all-conquering dominant wine. And it abused that dominance. More vineyards were planted in former cow pastures where fruit rarely ripened and had to be excessively chaptalised. So what you got in your basic Beaujolais was, to a large extent, fermented sugar! With no taste, just a burning mouth.

Beaujolais is now paying the price for this abuse. This week's trip report from Helen McEvoy tells of the gloom pervading that once most joyous of regions; (remember 'Clochmerle'?). There are massive uprootings. The place may even be going out of business.

And yet, perversely (my middle name) I now can't wait to get my hands on a couple of cases of Helen's latest discoveries in the 'Cru' villages of Beaujolais.

Basically, because in the Beauj heartland; villages like Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon and St Amour make a style of wine made nowhere else in the world. And never likely to be.

My lady wife loves these wines even more than I do. Many's the night she'll send me off down our cellar with the words "a red..but for God's sake not one of your monsters... I just want something quiet and gentle!" All very Freudian if you ask me, but the fact remains we go very fast through the good Cru Beaujolais. The most charming, food-enhancing relaxing of wines. And we've had none for at least a year! Helen wouldn't buy any last year. But her report on the 2009 Beaujolais makes my mouth water at the imminent prospect of Great Beauj ..and happy wife.

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