Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé!
Time to Celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day!
What is Beaujolais Nouveau Day?
A holiday in France, much like the American celebration of St. Patrick's day, where restaurants and cafes celebrate the arrival of the new vintage of Beaujolais wine (featuring the Gamay grape). As regulated by law, the new vintage may be released on the third Thursday in November at midnight.
This holiday is not for wine-snobs, Beaujolais Nouveau is known as a bright, fruit forward, light bodied red without much complexity. But that is exactly why I love it. It's a fresh wine, harvested and produced in a few weeks, meant to be consumed young. Historically, this party was meant to celebrate the end of the harvest and boost cash flow for wineries after harvest. In the 1970s, wineries began the "race to Paris" tradition. Since then, many countries have adopted the tradition of celebrating the race to Paris by opening bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau immediately after midnight.
If you ever find yourself in France around the third Thursday in November, try to check out the festivals. Many begin with markets and vendors during the day, with the celebration moving to the restaurants around midnight to ring in the new vintage. And remember, Beaujolais Nouveau goes great with food, especially casual fare.
Cheers!