In mid-November, a wine craze takes over the world when the new batch of Beaujolais Nouveau hits the market. The distinct wine-making Burgundian region of France just north west of Lyon is well known for its Nouveau. Although, wines are abundant in France and a part of everyday life -- why does the Beaujolais Nouveau elicit such a frenzied response when its annual “vintage” hits the shelves.

The Gamay grape

All Beaujolais red wines comes from this very grape. The grape has its own uniqueness in color (deeper with bluish tinge), body (light to medium), relatively low acidity, tannin (moderate, but close to none in the Nouveau) and aroma (red berry scented). What does this all mean? Anything coming from the Gamay grape is very “easy to drink”.

You can say “easy to drink” about many wines, but remember due to French law, the newest annual batch of the Beaujolais Nouveau comes out in November. This is before winter and most importantly, before Thanksgiving. Given its release date, the Beaujolais Nouveau is a precursor to the festive holiday season.

A distinct fact about the Beaujolais wine is that it is not aged at all. It usually becomes bottled and served after six weeks so its flavor and body is much lighter than most wines. It is recommended that it should be consumed as soon as possible as it does not age very well.

It's Here

“Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive!” is a line proclaimed throughout the region when the new vintage hits store shelves. This line is repeated as visitors, wine enthusiasts and aficionados visit Burgundy to purchase their own bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau. The local tradition involves store celebrations, balloon festivals and long lines of people waiting to buy their bottles. Listed are a few producers of Beaujolais Nouveau: Georges Duboeuf, Domaine Yvon Metras, Jean-Paul Thevenet, and Louis Jadot.

The Beaujolais region close proximity to Lyon means that is shares its reputation as a culinary destination in France. Along with all the festivities, many restaurants in the area open their doors and feely serve the new Beaujolais. Is it hype, marketing and simply good taste that brings people to the region. Does the Beaujolais deserve this popularity? The “hand picked” grape factor, the unique fermentation process and the “easy to drink” reputation makes the Beaujolais Nouveau a perfect and interesting wine for the festive occasion.

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