Well, if it’s the third Thursday of November, it must be the time of the year for Beaujolias Nouveau. The local wine shop had the Georges DuBoeuf on special for 5.00 a bottle, so I picked up three. Got some garlic sausgae and cheese to go with it, and I might even make Jeffrey Steingarten’s *Oeufs en meurette * this weekend.
Now, before all the other cork dorks start piling on, I know it’s not anything special. I’ve always thought of it as the wine drinker’s answer to fruit punch–young, sometimes slightly fizzy, fruity, more than a little sweet. But hey, it’s a fresh agricultural product, and if it means that I can have a little joy on a cold drizzly day, then damn the torpedoes.
Anyone else picked up theirs yet? What are you going to be doing with it? Any bets on how cheap it’s going to get after Christmas?
A radio discussion I heard on it this morning concluded that the whole “third Thursday of November” bit was nothing but a very successful marketing ploy. There’s no reason or tradition for it, but by pretending they are withholding it until it’s ‘ready’ makes it seem special.
Not being a cork dork , just examining the phenomenon. Not particularly my taste in wine. Too sweet.
I’m not really a cork dork (I like that so much better than wine snob!), but I’ve always thought of Beaujolias Nouveau as sort of a ‘beginner’s wine’ but definitely a step up from White Zinfandel. I’ve always recommended it to people who’ve never tried red wine before or think that all red wines are heavy in the tannins and dry, as it’s sweet and easy to enjoy without it being too tannic or complicated.
That being said, I think I’m going to go and pick up a few bottles while it’s on special–it’ll be quickly gone by Christmas, that’s for sure.
FalseGod, if you’re in the DC area then you missed out on what is always a great party: Bistro du Coin, just north of Dupont, has an annual Beaujolais Nouveau party on the Wednesday night before the offical opening day. Entry’s free, as is a full French buffet & all the B.N. you can drink for free! Tony Williams usually comes to open the first cork at midnight. This is the first time in a few years I haven’t been, and only because I’m out of the country.
I’d like to thank the OP for starting this thread. After another year of every supermarket and new program screaming “the Beaujolais Nouveau is here!”, I was about to start a thread of my own asking WTF the commotion was all about.
The Beaujolais Nouveau is definitely just a very successful marketing ploy; up until the early 80s or so, it was considered basically a trash wine. That said, I do it every year anyway. Heck, I see nothing wrong with a good marketing ploy if it means I get to sit around drinking wine.
On the other hand…
This year’s batch is pretty disappointing, I think. A good beaujolais year will have a taste almost like blackberries, with fruitiness and tartness mixed well. 1999 and 2000 were both good years for beaujolais (I think I missed it last year). The '02 crop, though, tastes to me pretty much like a Merlot gone bad: flat, tart to the point of near-sourness, and with a decidedly unpleasant finish. Disappointing, but: c’est le vin.
[sub](The pun on c’est la vie would have worked better if vin were feminine, but… c’est la vie.)[/sub]
, just examining the phenomenon. Not particularly my taste in wine. Too sweet.