I had no idea there was this global hysteria among wine lovers at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday of every November. I feel like a bit of a doozy as I worked at Vintages Head Office years ago and I lived in Burgundy France where I worked for a vineyard owning family and most importantly I'm a wine lover. Not a geek, and certainly not an afficianado, just straightforward adulation for the liquid that makes me oh so happy every night around 6 p.m.
In a nutshell, Beaujolais Nouveau is bottled right after fermentation without aging. It isn't a wine you keep around; it should be drunk within 3 months. So last night was my first introduction into this ritual that's been around since WWII. It's made from gamay grapes and is a purplish-red light hue, but what does it taste like, you ask?, well, white wine. My first sip was actually misleading. I had poured the wine into a glass that still had a mouthful of Trius Dry Riesling in it (and this is one of the freshest, tartest tasting white wines I've ever had) so I was certain it was ruined. I took a sip and it tasted fresh and tart and unlike any red wine I have ever drunk. I poured another glass wanting to taste it for what it really was and it was fresh and tart and tasted just like the first glass mixed in with the riesling. That is what it tastes like, a very fresh, slightly mouth puckering wine that is as far from the tannin filled, headache inducing, dry mouth at a cocktail party cheap reds of my 20s and equally as far from the subtle earthiness of the reds I now like so much - Portuguese Colheitas, Italian Merlots, Sicilian Nero D'Avola's. It's meant to be served chilled and is thus not the perfect dinner wine when there's 4 feet of snow and black clouds blanketing the night sky in this northern hemisphere canadian town but it's bold and it's refreshing and it reminds me of eating out in madrid. Check out your local LCBO for what's in stock.
Here is an informative article written by sommelier John Szabo about the history of Beaujolais Nouveau with tasting notes on 8 wines.
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