By David Setley
On Nov. 16, 2023, “le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” The Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived! Since the 19th century, farmers of wine grapes in France’s Beaujolais region have celebrated the vendange (the wine grape harvest) by quickly producing and releasing a wine from that year’s harvest. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Beaujolais winemakers and distributors officially named the wine “Beaujolais Nouveau” in 1951 and declared Nov. 15 as the release date. Interest in the annual wine event grew significantly in the European market over the next two decades as distributors raced to be the first to deliver the wine to the market on release day. In 1985, the Beaujolais Nouveau release date was changed to the third Thursday in November to better align with the upcoming weekend. In the United States, we have only celebrated Beaujolais Nouveau Day since the 1980s when it was introduced to the U.S. market by entrepreneurial French winemaker Georges Duboeuf. With Thanksgiving just one week later, the annual event has skyrocketed in popularity in America.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a wonderful celebration of the harvest; however, there is more to the region than the young wine. Gamay is the primary wine grape grown in Beaujolais, which is in the eastern region of France and the southernmost wine region of the Burgundy AOC. Gamay was initially grown throughout Burgundy until it was banished to the extreme south by the Duke of Burgundy to make as much room as possible for the growth of Pinot Noir grapes. Fortunately for Gamay grapes, the granite soil of the Beaujolais terroir was ideal for the varietal. Unfortunately, the Gamay grape and the Beaujolais region as a whole have a questionable reputation among wine connoisseurs, as most consumers associate both with the rapidly fermented, young wine of Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It’s time to give the region and the grape a second look.
My personal favorite Beaujolais Gamay is the En Brenay – Moulin-à-Vent. This complex, well-structured, medium garnet-colored wine has a lightly floral and red berry aroma with significant spiciness and earthiness. It is relatively full-bodied, with flavors of spice, red fruit, and soil. This wine will intrigue and satisfy the most discriminating wine enthusiast – give it a try!
Another very reasonably priced Gamay from Beaujolais is the L. Tramier & Fils Beaujolais-Villages. This light, smooth and dry Gamay wine features outstanding earthiness of mushrooms, truffles, and smoke highlighted with the light fruitiness of cherry, fig, and cranberry. The wine is unoaked as it is fermented and aged in stainless steel.
Yet another impressive representation of the Gamay grape is Jean-Paul Brun – L’Ancien Beaujolais 2021. This wine is 100% Gamay from vines planted on the south-facing slope of granitic soils. In what the winemaker considers to be classic Burgundian methods, sustainable farming is employed and the grapes are harvested by hand. The wine is fermented in concrete tanks with native yeasts and without sulfur. It is aged for 6-8 months and bottled with a light, non-sterile filtration and minimal sulfur. The result is a delicious, light to medium-bodied red wine with licorice, spice, plum, and black cherries as the aroma and on the palate.
The Beaujolais region produces other grapes as well. If white wine is your preference, the Jean-Paul Brun – Terres Dorées Chardonnay Beaujolais Blanc 2020 is a lovely option, made from 100% Chardonnay from the extreme southern area of Beaujolais – Charney. There, the soil has more limestone and the climate is warmer, providing a terroir well-suited for Chardonnay grapes. Jean-Paul Brun’s light gold-colored wine has a light citrus aroma with a hint of melted butter and tree fruit on the palate. It is a great demonstration of a Beaujolais Blanc.
So, in honor of Beaujolais Nouveau Day, consider trying a variety of wines from the Beaujolais region. You might even find a few options that would be a great compliment to your Thanksgiving dinner. Although white wines are often thought to be the most appropriate pairing with poultry, a light red wine, such as one of the Gamay wines mentioned above, would be equally perfect.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about the Beaujolais Nouveau wine holiday and the highly underrated Gamay grape. As always, if you have questions or would like to explore the wines of this region, stop into our store in Somers Point or contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com. Until next time, happy wining!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
