Beaujolais Nouveau

There's a long term tradition in the Beaujolais region of France to celebrate the new harvest and the new wine by drinking, or quaffing, even, the new release. Beaujolais is the region of France that's just north of Lyon. The region is famous for the local red wines made from the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grapes, so famous, that it's an official appellation with a complicated system of wineries and rankings.

For at least hundred years, however, the Beaujolais region has celebrated the grape harvest by releasing, just a few weeks after the harvest, a very young and "new" wine, Beaujolais Nouveau. This is a wine meant to be drunk, if not immediately and in large quantities, certainly within a few months. The traditional (and now formally created) day of release is the third Thursday in November, accompanied by a fair amount of hype and a race from the various wineries to get the new wine to Paris. There are banners in the streets and newspaper headlines celebrating the fact that Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé! It is, for the French, the start of the holiday season, and there's a very much still the sort of spirit and pleasure in drinking wine that, back in the day, had the local small wineries bringing pitchers of the very young wine to the local cafe.

Make no mistake; this is a young wine. It's made very traditionally, using carbonic maceration. This means that the grapes are not crushed, bruising the skins. Instead, they are piled into an air tight container for the short fermentation period. The resulting wine is noticeably fruity, and very light in color (think something a bit redder than the so-called "White Zinfandel"). It is very much lacking in the tannins that would ordinarily be supplied by the crushed grape skins.

Because it is a wine that is not meant for cellering, there's a European tradition of drinking the Beaujolais Noveau (not to be confused with the various Beaujolais lacking the "nouveau") before the New Year arrives, often, in fact, it is finished off during Christmas week, or at the latest, on New Year's Eve. I note that wine snobs will frequently turn up their noses regarding Beaujolais Nouveau, but to them I point out that this is a solid medieval custom, one that reminds us that wine is meant to be enjoyed and that a new wine goes well with a new year. For specific suggestions (under $10.00) here's . I suggest picking up two bottles, and inviting over some friends; you'll likely be happier with the Beaujolais Nouveau if you chill it just a bit first; it should be about 55F.