Beaujolais Nouveau Day - Ten Facts

Beaujolais Nouveau is a locally produced red wine hailing from the Beaujolais region of France. First produced in 1937, this Gamay exclusive wine is an extremely popular vin de primeur. Since the early 50’s, the Beaujolais Nouveau Day has evolved into a very special celebration which occurs on the third Thursday of November every year, and is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

1) Beaujolais Nouveau wines are created with the use of Gamay grapes, from the Beaujolais region.

2) Beaujolais Nouveau wines are designed to be drunk immediately, as they typically do not improve with age like most wines.

3) The grapes used to create Beaujolais Nouveau wines are by law, hand-picked, and are often left to ferment over the space of a few weeks in order to get the fruity, tannin-absent taste.

4) The Beaujolais region has nearly 4000 vineyards, producing officially designated AOC Beaujolais wines.

5) In order to get the fruity, vibrant flavours, Beaujolais Nouveau goes through a process called carbonic maceration, which emphasises the unique fruit flavours without extracting the tannins from the skins of the grapes.

6) The Beaujolais region of France holds over 100 Beaujolais Nouveau related festivals every November, with the most prominent being Les Sarmentelles which can last for days, a festival in its own right!

7) Beaujolais Nouveau is quickly becoming a worldwide phenomenon, with Germany, Japan and the United States importing millions of bottles per year due to increased demand and popularity.

8) The Beaujolais region where the grapes are grown stretches around 50km from north to south, located just north of Lyon, at the southern tip of burgundy.

9) A fairly recent celebration, the Beaujolais Nouveau is held on the third Thursday of November, regardless of the harvest conditions.

10) The tradition started nearly a century ago, and was originally a cheap, locally produced drink to celebrate the end of the harvest season.  

Why not have your own Beaujolais celebration with one of our Beaujolais wines?