Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive!
Beaujolais Nouveau Day is the 3rd Thursday in November. It used to be that people would travel down to Beaujolais to buy their wine as soon as it was released and then race back home to be the first of their friends to have the wine on their table. These days that tradition has more or less faded but people still search out this light, fruity, easy drinking wine. The last few years has seen a resurgence of interest in the young wine, driven by a rise in quality. Beaujolais Nouveau is now sent to over 110 countries, most notably the U.K., the U.S. and Japan. The Beaujolais region is famous for the gamay grape variety, which is used both in the Nouveau and the other red wines produced in the region. Under French law you cannot sell Beaujolais Nouveau until 12.01am on the third Thursday of November. This is the first release of the latest harvest and is treated as a time of celebration throughout France but particularly in Beaujolais itself. Flavour profile is full of juicy fruit, with notes of sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry, grape, and banana. The wine style often benefits from placing the bottle in the fridge for 20 minutes before it is served, which emphasises the fresh fruitiness of the young red. A wine that is made to be drunk young and although you could age the wine it does not improve the flavours. For those who want to pair their newest wine of the year with some food there are several directions you can go thanks to the versatility of the gamay grape. It is perfect with pizza or pasta if you want to keep things simple, it is ideal for poultry dishes and is great with a wide range of seafood too. Our favourite pairing, however, is to have it with far eastern takeaway as its fruity smooth character provides a great accompaniment to fruity, spicy dishes. Our favourite Beaujolais Nouveau is the "Coeur d'Automne" from the Oedoria cooperative. We have been importing this for a few years now and we think it offers great quality and shows what this unfashionable wine style can offer those who are brave enough to give it a fresh chance. Why not grab a bottle and celebrate the new wine. The hot summer of 2022 has given excellent concentration and ripeness to the grapes, resulting in the 2022 vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau promising to be fresh and lively with pronounced juicy fruit.