Just after midnight this morning through the French villages and into the countryside the new release of Beaujolais Nouveau made its way from the the southern part of Burgundy in to Paris to celebrate, raising a glass to the honored annual tradition happening the third Thursday of November each year, when winemakers of Beaujolais race their youthful, juicy Gamay variety wine into the city of light and love, celebrating the first wine of the recent harvest and the fruit of the year.
Perhaps the best known Beaujolais Nouveau comes from Georges Duboeuf, celebrating 30 years of making the fruit forward, approachable and incredibly food friendly wine this year. Each year they succeed in highlighting the fun aspect of this youthful wine with continually changing whimsical bottling reflecting the current vintage, while maintaining the very affordable price tag, about $10 a bottle.
Timing of this release is always ideal in America as well, as the juicy, fruit forward wine is an easy drinking accompaniment for any holiday festivity, pairing well with everything from turkey to cranberries to pumpkin pie.
This year we’ll have a chance to celebrate the Nouveau beyond Thanksgiving as the French American Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Beaujolais and Beyond Festival on November 30th at The Irving Convention Center. Guests will have a chance to try the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau, as well as a few nicely aged Beaujolais wines from Morgan, Flurie, Moulin-a-Vent and more, as well as selections from throughout France and the US while nibbling bites from Parigi, Sambuca, Lavendou, Hotel St. Germain and many more. Tickets available here.
