Beaujolais had always been a celebration to celebrate the end of the harvest. But did you know that until World War II it was only for local consumption. It was a way to sell ordinary quality wine at a good profit with Chateaus selling wine within weeks of the harvest which was great for cash flow.
The idea was born for a race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the new vintage. This attracted a lot of media coverage, and by the 1970s had become a national event. The races spread to neighbouring countries in Europe in the 1980s, followed by North America, and in the 1990s to Asia.
In 1985, the date was changed to the third Thursday in November to take best advantage of marketing in the following weekend.
Many say that the wine has had its heyday, with sales dropping every year. Sales in Britain fell from 742,000 bottles in 1999 to just 107,000 by 2011.
Beaujolais [BOE-zjoh-lay] Nouveau is always released the third Thursday of November, regardless of the start of the harvest.
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 (Gamay noir à Jus Blanc) 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 cannot be made from grapes grown in the 10 crus (great growths) of Beaujolais-only from grapes coming from the appellations of Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages.
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 the 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-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.
The region of Beaujolais is known for its fabulous food. The famed Paul Bocuse Restaurant is just minutes from the heart of Beaujolais, as is Georges Blanc’s eponymous culinary temple. These great restaurants have plenty of Beaujolais on their wine lists. This quintessential food wine goes well with either haute cuisine or Tuesday night’s meat loaf.
For more information, please contact Matthew Collins, Managing Director, Ascend Broking Group on: matthew.collins@ascendbroking.co.uk +44 (0)1245 449060Contact AuthorRead more about usOur awards
