It's Party Time for Beaujolais Nouveau
November, 2009
By Fred Tasker
Released on the third Thursday of November, France's beaujolais nouveau is the first wine of the season in the northern hemisphere. It's vinified quickly and gently, turning out a light-bodied, unserious, very fruity red wine from the gamay grape that's intended for drinking without navel contemplation.
Served at about 55 degrees, cooler than usual for a red wine, it goes well with Thanksgiving turkey. It goes even better with that day-after turkey sandwich. Puts you in the mood for holiday shopping.
Traditionally, the bistros of Paris used everything from motorcycles to dirigibles to be the first to bring up the new wine from the Beaujolais region of southeast France. These days the hype is worldwide. They sneak it in by ship a week early and magically produce it a minute after midnight as if it arrived by teleportation.
No matter. It's still fun. And a pretty good wine.
TASTING NOTES
2009 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, France: crisp, tart and very fruity; aromas and flavors of black cherries and spice; medium body; $10.
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