Ready or not, Beaujolais nouveau is coming soon to a city near you. This annual rite of autumn is frequently dismissed as a shameless marketing ploy, which it is, but the disdain in certain corners is more often than not simply old-fashioned wine snobbery.
Beaujolais is a light-bodied, fruity red wine produced from gamay grapes grown in the least fashionable district of France’s Burgundy region. Serious wine folk tend to not take it seriously. But in all seriousness, the scoffers miss the point, as well as the fun.
Beaujolais nouveau is the first wine made from the new harvest. It was always meant to be a celebration of the harvest, going back to a less serious time in wine circles when small amounts of nouveau were made within weeks of the harvest and only for local consumption.
Sometime after World War II the vignerons of Beaujolais turned it into a marketing opportunity, each striving to be the first to get their nouveau to Paris, where it was sold by carafe in bistros and cafes. The tradition spread to other parts of the world, including America, where Beaujolais is officially released for sale on the third Thursday of November.
Georges Duboeuf, the largest producer of Beaujolais, has almost personally kept the tradition alive in the United States, promoting wine dinners and tastings across the country built around his nouveau.
Truth be told, you will find better Beaujolais, particularly cru Beaujolais, later in the season. But the magic of Beaujolais nouveau is real. So set aside those lingering doubts, savor the festive and convivial aspect of this harvest tradition, and welcome with gusto the first wines of the new vintage.
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