Nouveau for November

The annual release of new wine from Beaujolais, aptly named Beaujolais Nouveau, will soon be upon us. This fresh young wine is celebrated as a harbinger of the vintage, while the balance of the year’s crop gently ages in cellars, awaiting release to the market. At one time, the frenzy caused by its release was unparalleled: it accounted for practically half of the wine production in the Beaujolais region.

Just after midnight, on the third Thursday of November, unaged Gamay grape wine is traditionally shipped to all points of the globe. The biggest promoter of Beaujolais Nouveau is Georges Duboeuf who, at the peak of the wine’s popularity, exported in excess of four million bottles annually around the world. The release begins locally, in the cafés, bars and bistros of Beaujolais region, and the excitement soon spreads to the nearby city of Lyon. The mania for Beaujolais Nouveau created an absolute moneymaker—so the government stepped in to regulate. After World War II, regulations were set down by the regional governing body to define the brand, along with its November release date.

Beaujolais Nouveau is a light wine that showcases the fruit component, and does not display the astringent tannins that are normally associated with red wines. It shows best if chilled, which makes it the perfect wine to celebrate and quaff rather than to dissect and critique. It is also a perfect wine to celebrate Wassail.

Beaujolais Nouveau is, not as popular as it once was, when—on the third Thursday of November—you knew you were drinking, partying and celebrating the new wine with like-minded folk around the world.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
It was time to replenish my stock of Pinot Gris. So I profited from Harwood Estate’s new vintage, released in late August. Pinot Gris is among my favourite wines, especially when the juice is allowed to remain in contact with the skins. The wine develops a special colour, which varies from light amber to a washed bronze.

The aromas here are tropical, with a mix of caramelized fresh pineapple and a touch of mango. The flavours are a stream of apricot, sugarplums, apple and cherries jubilee. The finish is a clean mouth-smacking delight— leaving you begging for another sip.

Harwood Estate’s 2013 Pinot Gris is only $18 a bottle, and is available at the Estate tasting room at 18908 Loyalist Parkway, just west of Hillier.