11/17/2005


beaujolais nouveau
Originally uploaded by jasclo.
It's Nov. 17! Drink up!
I'm new to this, so this is my first Nov. 17th in the wine world -- the release day for Beaujolais Nouveau. (It's always the third Thursday in November. Just remember, a week before Thanksgiving.)

B.N. is the first wine of the French harvest. My wine book says it's "an inexpensive, exuberantly juicy wine." It also says, and I'll share for demystifying purposes, Beaujolais is a place and nouveau means "new" (you probably already knew that, eh?). The wine is made just weeks after its grapes were harvested -- and it's made from the Gamay grape, just in case you were interested.

The thing is, you have to buy this and drink it soon after. It's not for storing. It "loses its sprightly charm a few months after its debut."

And two things:
1. Wine snobs dismiss this wine because it's not complex and doesn't have the usual depth that some reds have. But the French call it gouleyant, which means "gulpable." What else could you ask for?

2. It's a good entry wine for those who say they don't like red. There are no bitter tannins to get past.

Wine shops should be having tastings of it tonight. (Take advantage of it -- you get to taste it with no obligation to buy.) Since I have to work (patooey), I went to pick some up this morning. Two bottles. The books suggests these makers: Duboef, Bouchard, Drouhin and Jadot. My shop had only two selection, both Dubeof. One (the one on the left) is more complex and, the wine man said, will stand up better to food (fried foods, roast chicken, Thanksgiving dinner, Camembert and other soft cheeses, and Chevre and other acidity-loving goat cheeses). The other, hey, just drink it. Who needs food?!

Our bottles' labels say:
(On the left) Chateau de Buffavent 2005
(Right) George Duboeuf (the wine guy called this "the flower label").

If anyone tries it, let me know how it is. I hope to crack one open tonight. And if not then, definitely this weekend.

4 Comments:

Blogger Mair said...

Ooh! Let us know how it is! I've been reading all about it. Stupid "obligations" are getting in the way of my drinking time tonight, too.

11/17/2005 03:34:00 PM  
Blogger Jasclo said...

Will do! Excitement! We should drink some now. NOW. Cheers! *clink* (malia, i hate using those little stars. do you know what/who they remind me of? GAH!)

11/17/2005 03:58:00 PM  
Blogger Genevieve said...

when I lived in France, there were always parties for the beaujolais nouveau Thursday. it was fun! I'll have to pick some up this weekend for my Monday night dinner guest.

11/18/2005 11:37:00 AM  
Blogger Jasclo said...

Awesome. I bet it was cool living in France! SIGH.

11/19/2005 11:02:00 AM  

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