Who knows what about Beaujolais Nouveau? Have you tried it? Did you like it? Would you buy it? We’ve put together some facts about Beaujolais Nouveau:
Did you know:
- At the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday of every November, the new vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau is released.
- Beaujolais Nouveau, which is a young wine only 6 weeks old, comes from a region south of Burgundy in France. French culture practically dictates that the light-bodied and fruity wine must be finished by Christmastime and the French government has put regulations delaying the wine’s release until the third week in November.
- The region of Beaujolais is 34 miles long from north to south and 7 to 9 miles wide. There are nearly 4,000 grape growers who make their living in this picturesque region just north of France’s third largest city, Lyon.
- All the grapes in the Beaujolais region must be picked by hand. These are the only vineyards, along with Champagne, where hand harvesting is mandatory.
- Gamay is the only grape permitted for Beaujolais. While certain California wineries may label their wine “Gamay Beaujolais” this is not the same grape variety as what is grown in France, and is quite different in taste and growing habits.
- Beaujolais Nouveau owes its easy drinkability to a winemaking process called carbonic maceration—also called whole berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.
- Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk young-in average vintages it should be consumed by the following May after its release. However, in excellent vintages (such as 2000) the wine can live much longer and can be enjoyed until the next harvest rolls around.
- Serve Beaujolais Nouveau slightly cool, at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit / 12 degrees -the wine is more refreshing and its forward fruit more apparent than if you serve it at room temperature.
- Approximately 1/3 of the entire crop of the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau
Festivals:
There are approximately 120 festivals to honor the arrival of this enticing young wine in the Beaujolais region alone.
The biggest of which takes place in Beaujeu, the capital of the Beaujolais region. This little city springs to life during this weekend in November, hosting a massive party called Sarmentelles. The party gets its name from the French word for cuttings from the canes of grapevines called sarments, which are burned in the center of town just prior to the grand midnight unveiling.
Then the huge barrels are opened too much fanfare and party-goers indulge in the new wine for the festival’s 3 day duration. Other areas in France also boisterously celebrate the arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau. Lyon hosts the Beaujolympiades (Beaujolympics), marking the release of the wine with music and fireworks followed by 2 days of sampling.
In Paris, restaurants and bistros host their Beaujolais Nouveau parties, staying open through the night and uncorking hundreds of bottles after midnight.
So come Thursday 17th, we at Karwigs will be raising a glass to this age long tradition, will you?
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