Beaujolais Nouveau
The official release date for Beaujolais Nouveau was set in 1985 as the third Thursday of November at midnight. However, this wasn’t always the case.
Initially, a decree from September 1951 stipulated that wines with a protected designation of origin (AOC) could not be sold before December 15th of their vintage.
However, in November 1951, winegrowers’ associations obtained a derogation allowing them to immediately market their wine of the year under the “vin nouveau” (new wine) designation. The release date remained variable until 1967, then was fixed at November 15th until 1985, and finally settled on the third Thursday of November.
Beaujolais Nouveau, launched by the Georges Duboeuf winery, has become one of the biggest commercial successes of recent decades. Not only did he introduce Beaujolais Nouveau to the world, but he also contributed to the promotion of the entire Beaujolais wine region.
The release of Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated with festivals such as the Fête des Sarmentelles in Beaujeu, the historical capital of Beaujolais, where the barrels are opened at midnight.
A primeur wine
Beaujolais Nouveau is not classified as an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), but as a primeur wine!
So, what exactly is a primeur wine?
It’s a wine released shortly after fermentation, generally a few months after the harvest. Also called young wine, new wine, or wine of the year, primeur must meet specific criteria. It must be produced exclusively within the vineyards of the Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages AOCs and made from the Gamay Noir grape variety.
Beaujolais Nouveau is produced with a technique called carbonic maceration. Initially, CO2 is produced by macerating a portion (10% to 30%) of the crushed grapes in the vat. Yeasts are then added, contributing to the development of a unique aromatic profile. The remaining whole grapes are added once CO2 production has begun, and maceration lasts approximately four days. The resulting Beaujolais Nouveau wines are characterised by low tannin levels, a pale red colour with violet highlights, and bright, fruity aromas.
These wines are easy to drink and pair perfectly with charcuterie or casual meals with friends. However, Beaujolais Nouveau wines are not meant for ageing and are best enjoyed within a few weeks of their release. They accounts for about one-third of the total Beaujolais production. Interestingly, the main consumers of these wines are in Japan and South Korea, which together import nearly half of the annual production.
Coordinates Beaujeu: Lat 46.158237 – Long 4.580456
Please remember to drink responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk – L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération – Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Photo1 by Agnes27 CC BY-SA 3.0 – Photo2 by Hajime NAKANO CC BY 2.0
