But what made the night special was the presentation of the winemakers whose products were featured that evening. They were all women – one for each appellation of the Beaujolais region. They call themselves Les Etoiles en Beaujolais (the Stars in Beaujolais), a constellation of women passionate about their wines.

Each woman is the star of an appellation, or denomination of Beaujolais wine: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Juliénas, and Saint-Amour. They came together in 1998 to raise awareness of the contributions that women make to the overwhelmingly male-dominated wine industry in Beaujolais.

The evening was magical, with a two-hour wine tasting and commentary by the Etoiles, followed by a three-course meal and of course, more Beaujolais wine. Each Etoile was cloaked in a wrap shaped like a grape leaf, which was made from a patchwork of cloth in shades chosen to evoke the autumn harvest. Only women were invited to attend, making the event even more unusual.

Many of the Etoiles came to viticulture late in life. Brigitte Brac de la Perrière (Brouilly) worked in the import/export business and in the field of foreign aid before choosing life as a wine maker. Chantal Pegaz (Côte de Brouilly) studied law, and now specializes in wine and vineyard law. Dominica Lambinon (Régnié) began her professional life in international business. And Claire Beaupère-David (Juliénas) studied fine arts and created a costume company prior to becoming a vigneronne (wine grower).

Chai 33, which has only been in operation since May 2002, is entirely dedicated to the promotion and discovery of wines. It has a surface area of 1350 square meters (over 14,500 sq. ft.) that is divided into three levels shared by a restaurant, lounge-bar, two terraces, VIP corners, a table d’hôtes, and of course, a wine storage area. It has a thoroughly modern decor, with music provided by the house DJ. The Etoiles wine tasting took place in the upper level lounge-bar, after which everyone descended to the restaurant on the ground floor. To our delight, the servers were all smiling, attractive and courteous men!

Because many people only associate Beaujolais with Beaujolais Nouveau (the arrival of which is celebrated on the third Thursday in November), the evening that Chai 33 hosted with the assistance of the Union Interprofessionnelle des Vins du Beaujolais was truly one of discovery. Of the 12 Beaujolais denominations, ten are classified as crus, or wines produced only from the grapes of a specific commune of the region. The featured Etoile wine from each commune, as well as excellent Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages wines, flowed freely throughout the meal.

Chai 33 itself is a place worth discovering. For those who are novices in wine tasting and pairing, the restaurant provides a color-coded card that associates specific characteristics of a wine with a color. You are then invited to visit the chai, where a sommelier will help you select a wine matching the characteristics of the color code that you have chosen. Though French wines dominate the selection, there are many foreign wines to choose from as well. The sommelier guides your selection and prepares the wine for your consumption, decanting as necessary. You then return to your table to enjoy your meal.

Chai 33 is also unique in that it is likely to be the only place in Paris where you can take your wine home in a "doggy bag" if you don’t finish it on the premises!

The women of Beaujolais are producing some wonderful wines. To learn more about them, visit the web site www.etoiles-en-beaujolais.com.

Chai 33
33, cour Saint-Emilion
Bercy Village
75012 Paris
Tel : 01.53.44.01.01
Metro : Cour Saint-Emilion (line 14)
Hours : Lunch every day from 12 N – 3 PM (Sundays until 4 PM); Dinner – Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 PM to 12:30 AM; Sunday and Monday until 11 PM.

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Monique Y. Wells is co-owner of Discover Paris!  - Personalized Itineraries for Independent Travelers as well as the author of Food for the Soul - A Texas Expatriate Nurtures her Culinary Roots in Paris and Paris Reflections  -  Walks Through African-American Paris (co-authored with BP writer/editor Christiann Anderson).

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On the evening of October 28, the fruits of the Beaujolais harvest were fêted at Chai 33 in the recently created Bercy Village in the 12th arrondissement. The location could not have been more appropriate – Chai 33 is a restaurant and chai (wine storehouse) devoted to the discovery of wine, and Bercy is the historical wine depot of Paris.

But what made the night special was the presentation of the winemakers whose products were featured that evening. They were all women – one for each appellation of the Beaujolais region. They call themselves Les Etoiles en Beaujolais (the Stars in Beaujolais), a constellation of women passionate about their wines.

Each woman is the star of an appellation, or denomination of Beaujolais wine: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Juliénas, and Saint-Amour. They came together in 1998 to raise awareness of the contributions that women make to the overwhelmingly male-dominated wine industry in Beaujolais.

The evening was magical, with a two-hour wine tasting and commentary by the Etoiles, followed by a three-course meal and of course, more Beaujolais wine. Each Etoile was cloaked in a wrap shaped like a grape leaf, which was made from a patchwork of cloth in shades chosen to evoke the autumn harvest. Only women were invited to attend, making the event even more unusual.

Many of the Etoiles came to viticulture late in life. Brigitte Brac de la Perrière (Brouilly) worked in the import/export business and in the field of foreign aid before choosing life as a wine maker. Chantal Pegaz (Côte de Brouilly) studied law, and now specializes in wine and vineyard law. Dominica Lambinon (Régnié) began her professional life in international business. And Claire Beaupère-David (Juliénas) studied fine arts and created a costume company prior to becoming a vigneronne (wine grower).

Chai 33, which has only been in operation since May 2002, is entirely dedicated to the promotion and discovery of wines. It has a surface area of 1350 square meters (over 14,500 sq. ft.) that is divided into three levels shared by a restaurant, lounge-bar, two terraces, VIP corners, a table d’hôtes, and of course, a wine storage area. It has a thoroughly modern decor, with music provided by the house DJ. The Etoiles wine tasting took place in the upper level lounge-bar, after which everyone descended to the restaurant on the ground floor. To our delight, the servers were all smiling, attractive and courteous men!

Because many people only associate Beaujolais with Beaujolais Nouveau (the arrival of which is celebrated on the third Thursday in November), the evening that Chai 33 hosted with the assistance of the Union Interprofessionnelle des Vins du Beaujolais was truly one of discovery. Of the 12 Beaujolais denominations, ten are classified as crus, or wines produced only from the grapes of a specific commune of the region. The featured Etoile wine from each commune, as well as excellent Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages wines, flowed freely throughout the meal.

Chai 33 itself is a place worth discovering. For those who are novices in wine tasting and pairing, the restaurant provides a color-coded card that associates specific characteristics of a wine with a color. You are then invited to visit the chai, where a sommelier will help you select a wine matching the characteristics of the color code that you have chosen. Though French wines dominate the selection, there are many foreign wines to choose from as well. The sommelier guides your selection and prepares the wine for your consumption, decanting as necessary. You then return to your table to enjoy your meal.

Chai 33 is also unique in that it is likely to be the only place in Paris where you can take your wine home in a "doggy bag" if you don’t finish it on the premises!

The women of Beaujolais are producing some wonderful wines. To learn more about them, visit the web site www.etoiles-en-beaujolais.com.

Chai 33
33, cour Saint-Emilion
Bercy Village
75012 Paris
Tel : 01.53.44.01.01
Metro : Cour Saint-Emilion (line 14)
Hours : Lunch every day from 12 N – 3 PM (Sundays until 4 PM); Dinner – Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 PM to 12:30 AM; Sunday and Monday until 11 PM.

(Photo JL Barde/UIVB copyright)

--
Monique Y. Wells is co-owner of Discover Paris!  - Personalized Itineraries for Independent Travelers as well as the author of Food for the Soul - A Texas Expatriate Nurtures her Culinary Roots in Paris and Paris Reflections  -  Walks Through African-American Paris (co-authored with BP writer/editor Christiann Anderson).