All Your Questions About Beaujolais Nouveau, Answered

It’s finally that time of year, or as the French would say, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!" If you even occasionally frequent a wine shop or two this time of year, you’ve undoubtedly heard all about Beaujolais Nouveau. But what is it, what is the craze all about, and should you get some? That’s what I’m here for! It’s me, Mo, the wine buyer here at Dabbler Depot. And I’m going to answer all your questions about this young, fresh, fruity French wine and the celebrations surrounding it.

Wait, back up. What’s Beaujolais? Or…where is Beaujolais? Nouveau means ‘new,’ right?

I see you’ve been taking your French lessons! Yes, nouveau is French for new, and the name is fitting, here. Beaujolais, a region in central-eastern France near Lyon, grows mainly Gamay. Some wine experts consider Beaujolais its own region. Others consider it an extension of its northerly neighbor, Burgundy. But that’s a debate for another blog post! In most of Europe, wines are labeled by their growing region as opposed to the grape(s) the wine is made from. So Beaujolais Nouveau is the very first wine released in France (specifically in Beaujolais) each vintage year.

So, when is that, exactly?

The French government has decreed that Beaujolais Nouveau comes out on the third Thursday of November each year. This year, that’s November 17th! It all started back in the 50s and 60s when people in the surrounding area started drinking the 'first of the season juice.' In no time, Parisians wanted to get their hands on the stuff and it became a race to see which wineries could get their wines to the cafes in Paris, first. As the decades went on, the trend spread to the U.S. and to the rest of the globe. You’ve heard of ‘fast fashion,’ but Beaujolais Nouveau is ‘fast wine.’ Grapes are still on the vine in September. They’re harvested that same month, and by the third Thursday of November date, the wine is already released worldwide.

What does it taste like?

As you might have guessed, the quick turnaround time between harvest, the winemaking process, and bottling, this isn’t a wine that sees much aging. Gamay, the grape used to make Beaujolais Nouveau (and the star grape in the Beaujolais region as a whole) is thin-skinned with low tannins. Once grapes are picked, winemakers use a method called carbonic maceration: oxygen-free whole cluster fermentation that is used to increase the juiciness of the wine and even further lower the tannins contained in the grape skins. Once it’s bottled and finished, the wine pours a gorgeous magenta color. It has red fruit notes of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, plus some really interesting bubblegum and banana notes. While other Beaujolais wines can be somewhat ageable, the Nouveau style really isn’t. It’s designed to be consumed fairly soon after purchase, which makes it a great addition to your Thanksgiving table.

You lost me at banana and bubblegum. This doesn’t sound like any wine I’ve had before!

Weird, huh? But not that unusual in the world of fermented beverages. You’ve had a Bavarian hefeweizen before, right? Those same flavors are characteristic of that particular beer style. Because of the very fast vineyard-to-liquor-store-shelf journey Beaujolais Nouveau experiences, its critics say that it’s not a wine to be taken seriously. And maybe it isn’t. A village or cru-level wine from the same region will certainly offer more complexity. But wine drinking doesn’t always have to be serious. Beaujolais Nouveau is all about the celebration. The first wines released this year in the northern hemisphere are definitely worth having a party about…at least, that’s what the French think! The rest is really up to you. Beaujolais Nouveau may not be everyone’s jam, but it’s lighthearted and fun, and it pairs well with turkey and stuffing. Is it the most mind-blowing wine out there? Probably not. Is it a brilliantly-marketed product that now has a global following? Undoubtedly. Do you really want to pass up drinking liquid banana bubblegum? Yeah, me, neither.

OK, I’m convinced. Can I get some?

You sure can, however stock is limited! We’ll have some of our favorite Beaujolais Nouveau bottles available here at the shop starting on that November 17th release date. In fact, we’re having a big party that day here at Dabbler Depot, so it’ll be the place to be between 5-7 for all your holiday booze-shopping needs, Beaujolais or otherwise. Come on in, try a sample, and stock up for your Thanksgiving feast!