Wine Blog

I like that we still make a festive fuss in this country over the arrival of the world's fruitiest wine: Beaujolais Nouveau. Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, knows that a mid-November party is just what we mortals need to combat the stress of the daily grind by reveling in a little French culture. 

Despite its reputation as an easy-drinking, fruit cocktail sort of wine to be consumed in its youth (Beaujolais Nouveau, not to be confused with traditional Beaujolais, is only a few months old when it hits the market), the particular terroir and artful winemaking behind this very unique beverage are noteworthy.

For starters, the region of Beaujolais offers a very unique soil and climate, sandwiched between Burgundy and the Rhône, where sandy granite parcels give birth to tender, ripe wines. The early-ripening grapes allow for a head start in the winemaking.

Secondly, did you know that along with Champagne, Beaujolais is the only region which forbids machine harvests? As the grapes are whole-cluster fermented in Beaujolais, the bunches must be in tact and healthy upon arrival in the cellars. Part of the art of Beaujolais winemaking is to craft a supple, low-tannin wine and to therefore avoid extracting elements from the stems and seeds. 

Thirdly, the temperatures during the cuvaison, or vat-period, and duration of the fermentation and maceration are unique and quite critical to the quality of the resulting wine. A short vat period (usually around four days) means less extraction of elements from the skins, preserving the fresh berries and aromatics of classic Nouveau. In the absence of astringency from the tannins, these Gamays are consumed en primeur.

Lastly, carbonic maceration sets Nouveau apart from traditional Beaujolais. Vats are filled with whole clusters of Gamay grapes which are neither pressed, nor crushed nor de-stemmed. As the weight of the top layers crushes the grapes on the bottom, juice accumulates and a traditional yeast-based fermentation begins, releasing copious amounts of carbon dioxide.

In the middle of the vat, the juice and solid particles also begin to ferment. An anaerobic environment is created, provoking a unique biochemical fermentation inside each of the intact grapes above. This process is called carbonic maceration and is responsible for the bright berry character and grapey flavors that a Beaujo (Nouveau drinker) so cherishes in a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau. 

The skins are then removed, fermentation concludes, malo-lactic begins and then the wine is briefly aged and bottled. The whole process from grape to bottle only lasts a few months. 

All of these particularities make Nouveau a very special wine indeed. Since the 1980s, Beaujolais Nouveau has enlivened the third Thursday of every November, giving countless lackluster Americans another occasion for celebration. Paired with typical French hors d'oeuvres of which cheese puffs are by far my favorite, glasses of ruby-colored Gamay are slurped down all across the nation.  Most parties also set the ambiance, with French pop from the '80s as the preferred genre.

Do not miss out on this year's Nouveau! Now that you know what's in your glass, let's make merry and may the uproarious festivities begin!