Comparison
Beaujolais vs Valpolicella
How Beaujolais and Valpolicella differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: Beaujolais has more floral character; Valpolicella has more acidity; Valpolicella has more savoury character.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Floral character
Clear differenceBlossom, rose, violet, elderflower, acacia and related aromatic notes.
Beaujolais is more floral: medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Valpolicella is fresher and more acidic: high against medium-plus.
Savoury character
Clear differenceNon-fruit, umami-adjacent character: meat, leather, olive, soy, broth, cured notes. Often increases with age.
Valpolicella is more savoury: medium against low-medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Sweetness: Similar — both low.
- Tannin: Similar — both low-medium.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Body: Similar — both low-medium.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium-plus.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Beaujolais | Valpolicella |
|---|---|---|
| Floral character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | low (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Savoury character | low-medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Tannin | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Body | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Serve at | 12–14°C | 13–15°C |
| Typical flavours | red cherry, raspberry, banana, bubblegum, violet | sour cherry, red plum, almond, violet, herbs |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Style
Beaujolais
Light, juicy Gamay, often made by carbonic maceration — the archetypal chillable red.
Style
Valpolicella
Light, high-acid, sour-cherry red from the hills north of Verona — the fresh counterpart to Amarone.
Comparison
Amarone vs Valpolicella
Same grapes, same hills — how does one become 16% and the other 12%?
Comparison
Valpolicella vs Ripasso
What does "ripasso" do to the wine?
Comparison
Beaujolais vs Cru Beaujolais
Is a named cru worth several times the price of basic Beaujolais?