A series of wine masterclasses designed to introduce a new generation of drinkers to the Beaujolais of Burgundy has begun in London.

Isabelle Legeron leads the programme which she hopes will dispel some of the pre-conceived notions about Beaujolais wines.

"Beaujolais is a beautiful region and hugely underrated," Ms Legeron told the Drinks Business. "And the wines have always been hugely underrated too."

Ms Legeron feels it is unfair for the whole region to suffer from such a bad reputation in the wine world because of criticism of Beaujolais Nouveau - especially when the Gamay is capable of "world class" wines that age well.

There has been a notable upturn in the quality of wines coming out of the Beaujolais region of Burgundy, which Ms Legeron says is down to experimentation from skilled winegrowers.

Many are now using natural yeast as part of the production process, rejecting use of the 71b strain that creates the strawberry and bubblegum notes found in Nouveau.

Grapes are also harvested later, allowing them to reach phenolic ripeness.

Ms Legeron says it is important to take advantage of the new generation of wine enthusiasts who hold fewer preconceptions about the region.

"Beaujolais is making a comeback thanks to a younger generation of winemakers," she told the publication.

"Land is still relatively cheap in Beaujolais, which allows younger people to buy vineyards and experiment, something that is not really possible elsewhere in France."

Some growers in Beaujolais received a setback recently when the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine decreed that 43 communes have lost the right to call their wines produce of Burgundy.

However, evidence of the potential in the Beaujolais terroir was highlighted with the fact that the same number of communes will be allowed to continue carrying that particular designation on their bottles.