Beaujolais nouveau

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Beaujolais nouveau is a wine of the Gamay variety produced in the Beaujolais (AOC) region of France that is officially released for sale on the third Thursday of November.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Taste 2.1 Grape 2.2 Enjoyment 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Overview

Beaujolais nouveau is a wine of the Gamay variety produced in the Beaujolais (AOC) region of France that is authorized for immediate sale after fermentation. It is the most popular vin de primeur, a wine harvested in fall and sold before spring (much sooner than it could be produced through normal fermentation).

Beaujolais nouveau is produced by carbonic maceration followed by pasteurization, a process which bypasses malolactic fermentation. The wine is ready to be drunk a scant six weeks after the harvest. Each year the new Beaujolais is officially released on the third Thursday of November ("Beaujolais Day") and no time earlier, which has been mandated by French Law.^[1] Just after midnight, a race begins to ship the wine out all around the world as quickly as possible. For a vintner, the economic advantages of selling one's wine before the end of the year are substantial, although the wine itself varies dramatically in quality.

Beaujolais nouveau is not a wine to keep; it must be rapidly consumed within a few months of its production. Some wine critics consider it to have an immature but enjoyable flavor not too different from unfermented grape juice, and Karen MacNeil, author of Workman Publishing's The Wine Bible, compares the enjoyment of drinking Beaujolais Nouveau to the enjoyment derived from eating cookie dough.^[2]

Young, Beaujolais should be served chilled, at approximately 13°C (55°F), to encourage its fruity complexion. The fuller Beaujolais, on the other hand, are best at about 17°C (60-65°F).

Around 45,000,000 litres of Beaujolais nouveau is produced each year, making up about a third of the region's total wine production. About half of this is exported, some of it as far as Asia. By far the largest production comes from the négociant Georges Duboeuf, who makes the well-known "flower labels".

The commercial success of Beaujolais nouveau has lead to the development of similar primeur wines, first in other regions of France and later in other wine producing countries such as Italy (vino novello).

In the United States, it is common for Beaujolais Nouveau to be drunk on Thanksgiving, since the holiday falls only a week after the year's production goes on sale.

In France, where the wine is made, Winemakers who have worked hard all year tend to look forward to Beaujolais Nouveau Day as a celebration of the season coming to an end.

[edit] Taste

Unlike other red wines, the Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be served chilled. The idea behind this varietal being drunk at colder temperatures allows it to be more refreshing and have more evident fruit flavors.

Beaujolais nouveaus are light, fruity red wines which are very easy to drink. This wine is a perfect choice for people wanting to transition into red wines from white wines.

Since the Beaujolais Nouveau is produced by carbonic maceration (whole berry fermentation), there is little or no tannins, which allows for a less bitter taste. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.

[edit] Grape

Gamay noir à Jus Blanc is the only grape allowed to be used in the Beaujolais Nouveau. 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.

[edit] Enjoyment

The phrase, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” is proclaimed and celebrated on banners, advertisements, etc. in order to lure in the fans of this wine. In English, this is simply stated as, "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" Since the 2005 Beaujolais Nouveau campaign, the new slogan for the US market is "It's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!"

[edit] See also

• French wine

[edit] External links

• Beaujolais Nouveau
• An article on Slate which explores the marketing hype associated with the wine.

[edit] References

1. ^ Slinkard, Stacy. Beaujolais Nouveau. Your Guide to Wine. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
2. ^ Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible Workman Publishing Company, Inc. 2001, pg. 225