Yes indeed the third Thursday of November is upon us shortly and with that comes the annual (albeit less and less awaited) arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau. Pardon me if I don’t get too excited. Maybe I am too old? Too jaded? Or just too pragmatic?

When I started in the biz in the late 1970’s the yearly nouveau season was touted as big event and indeed it was. The wines, made from the Gamay grape in the French region of Beaujolais via a process called carbonic maceration, are unique- fresh, vibrant, electric fluorescent magenta in color and effusing aromas and flavors of fresh banana, bubble gum, gushing strawberry, grape, and raspberry fruit all enveloped in smooth soft to non-existent tannins (a resulting byproduct of carbonic) and easy to drink… going down as easy as Kool-Aid but with a bit of a kick and often a prickle of spritz from the carbon dioxide trapped in the wines as they are bottled, sold, and shipped off. Continue reading »