Beaujolais Nouveau Day celebrates the day when the new Beaujolais wine, made from this season’s harvest in the region north of Lyon, goes on sale in Paris. “The new Beaujolais has arrived!”
Beaujolais is a red wine made from Gamay grapes in the Beaujolais region of France. It is drunk young when first bottled to celebrate the end of the harvest.
Beaujolais Nouveau Day
“Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé” is the cry that goes out on Beaujolais Nouveau Day, the third Thursday in November.
The tradition comes from the race to deliver the new wine to Paris. It seems like a publicity stunt, but the tradition actually grew organically. It started in the old Parisian central market Les Halles. The tradition then jumped to England, New York, and the world.
The day is the third Thursday of November, so it’s always right before Thanksgiving.
Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!
Beaujolais
Beaujolais Nouveau is bottled just 6 – 8 weeks after the harvest. This leaves very little time for tannins to develop so the wine has brighter fruit flavors. The Beaujolais region is just south of Burgundy and north of Lyon. Beaujolais produces more complex wines in the north and fruitier, lighter wines in the south.
Beaujolais Nouveau should be chilled slightly and drunk quickly because it does not improve with age. It is drunk in a Burgundy glass. Brilliant!
Beaujolais Nouveau Day
The third Thursday of November is one week before the American Thanksgiving holiday. So Beaujolais is a great Thanksgiving wine! Wow, we finally found a Latin connection to Thanksgiving. Vive la France!