PARIS, Nov 12 — France’s 2016 Beaujolais nouveau wines are set for release at midnight on Thursday, November 17. Beaujolais Noveau Day sees wine fans come together to sample this vin de primeur, fermented for just a few weeks before going on sale. This fun festival traditionally celebrates the harvest in France’s Beaujolais winemaking region. Over the years, it has grown to become an international event, with wines exported all over the globe. Here are a few reasons to raise a glass to this year’s vintage.
There’s more to Beaujolais nouveau than a one-night celebration
Beaujolais nouveau is a vin de primeur, a wine sold in the same year it is harvested. The wines are therefore very young, since they’re made from grapes harvested just a few months beforehand. The traditional celebration involves sampling the fruit of the harvest in an early tasting. However, wine-lovers can keep Beaujolais nouveau wines to let them age, for no more than six months, to enjoy in spring 2017. Despite what some wine snobs may say, Beaujolais nouveau can even be served this holiday season, for pre-dinner drinks with a selection of cured meats, for example, or with a meal such as a crayfish tail gratin.
Tasting one Beaujolais nouveau isn’t tasting them all
Beaujolais nouveau is famously looked down on for its supposed banana taste. It’s true that this young wine does have a fruity flavour. However, that’s almost the point of a vin de primeur, with fermentation times limited to a maximum of seven days. Beyond that, winemakers can use their own techniques to give each wine individual character. Beaujolais nouveau is an artisanal wine, drawing its characteristics first and foremost from the specific land and environment where the grapes are grown. What’s more, two types of wine in the region — Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages — are both made into a vin de primeur. There therefore isn’t just one Beaujolais nouveau, but several types, each with their own unique qualities. In fact, some 2,000 vineyards and winemakers make their own Beaujolais nouveau wines.
Promising potential for the 2016 vintage
The year didn’t get off to the best start for winemakers in France’s Beaujolais region, as a hailstorm hit in Q2, destroying crops at many vineyards. Some 2,200 hectares suffered damage of 50 per cent or more, out of a total winemaking region of 15,819 hectares. Yet Mother Nature made amends this summer, with conditions becoming ideal to ensure quality wines this year. Grapes were harvested under sunny skies. What’s more, harvests were 40 per cent higher than over the last five years for producers who weren’t affected by the springtime hail. The first samples promise an elegant rather than powerful bouquet.
Beaujolais nouveau is a great excuse for a party
Beaujolais Nouveau Day is traditionally celebrated on the third Thursday in November, when the first vin de primeur wines are shipped from vineyards. This is a great time to visit the nearby city of Lyon, in Southeastern France, to enjoy the festive atmosphere in its traditional cafés and restaurants. Famous hotspots for Beaujolais nouveau celebrations include Le Café des Fédérations, Le Fleurie, Le Morgon and La Hugonnière. Young farmers from the Rhône region then carry on the party through November 16 and 17 in Place des Terreaux, one of the city’s main squares. The arrival of the Beaujolais nouveau is now celebrated all over the world, particularly in Japan, which is the second biggest market for the wines after France, followed by the US in third and the UK in fourth. — AFP-Relaxnews
