10 facts about Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais Nouveau Day Thursday 21st November 2024
Enjoy a few fun facts about this seasonal landmark of a wine. We are taking orders now for 2024, so check it out below and note that our Beaujolais Nouveau is a Beaujolais Villages from the highly regarded, organic winemakers, Domaine Bodillard.
We will be delivering your orders during the week commencing 18th November.
- Beaujolais Nouveau (new season or young Beaujolais) has been produced in the region for over 200 years, from black Gamay grapes, as a way of celebrating the recent harvest.
- The grapes must be picked by hand in order to qualify.
- The wine is made using a process called carbonic maceration or whole berry fermentation – where the whole grapes are sealed into a large container that is filled with carbon dioxide. The grapes right at the bottom start to ferment first as they are crushed by the weight of the grapes on top. As they do so, they emit more CO2 which helps all the uncrushed grapes to ferment without any oxygen.
- The resulting wine is very fresh and fruity and low in tannins as there is no bitterness from the grape skins.
- The traditional release day is the third Thursday of November at 12.01 and a great marketing initiative in the 1960s saw people racing to Beaujolais to get the first bottles to Paris.
- The slogan ‘Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé’ (The New Beaujolais has arrived!) was coined in the 1970s and banners bearing the words were used to advertise bars and bistros celebrating the event. The slogan was changed in 2005 to Beaujolais Nouveau Day. Time for a gallic shrug?
- While Beaujolais Nouveau is made to be drunk young, the higher quality versions including those with the AOC Beaujolais Villages will often keep for much longer, particularly in a good year.
- The UK town said to have the highest consumption of Beaujolais Nouveau is Swansea. Possibly thanks to Rugby Union Captain Clem Thomas’s love for the wine, which he discovered near to his home in Burgundy and was able to ship to Wales.
- This light, fruity red pairs beautifully with all sorts of foods and flavours. Cheese, hams and cured meats, seafood, spices, chicken and pasta dishes all work well.
- Beaujolais Nouveau must be served lightly chilled.
Beaujolais and other stories
Beaujolais wines are made from the Gamay grape. Known for its earthy qualities, bright berry fruit flavours and light, fresh style, they are among the most versatile when it comes to food pairing. Lightly chilled, on their own or with anything from chicken to fish via vegetable dishes, pasta and lightly spiced foods, you can't go wrong with a good Gamay.
