Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé...encore...

In honor of the occasion, here's a re-print of my article that ran in The Second Glass (www.thesecondglass.com) this time last year.

Mention Beaujolais Nouveau to your average French person, and their first reaction will probably be disgust. Beaujolais Nouveau is to the French what tequila is to the rest of us; the mere mention of it brings back memories of a youthful night of overindulgence and the legendary hangover that was to follow.
Their second reaction will also be disgust, but of a different nature. Most French agree that the annual release of this rather unremarkable wine is shameless marketing, turning the third Thursday of November into a sort of Hallmark Holiday created purely for financial gain. The event is the brainchild of the Beaujolais wine maker Georges Duboeuf, who wanted to bring Beaujolais to the world and in doing so has brought a significant amount of revenue to his pockets. One can understand the personal affront taken by the French when you consider that the Beaujolais Nouveau media frenzy not only honors and profits off of a mediocre wine, which is simply unacceptable to the French, but has also marred the credibility of an entire region of winemakers, each capable of making much better bottles. Unfortunately, the Beaujolais Nouveau event overshadows more pleasing bottles produced in the region.
Despite the general distaste for this international public relations scheme, it seems to be working. Every year, sales boom in the U.S., Germany, China, and Japan- the latter being one of the three biggest consumers of Beaujolais Nouveau, after France. The problem is, though the idea of a ready-to-drink wine seems fit for release in a season whose swiftness adds to its sweetness, do we really want a wine that is a passing pleasure on our palette? Should we rely on wine to be more than that, something to be savored and appreciated? Maybe we want more than just a pretty bottle.
Pretty bottles do fly off the shelves as well as court the budding wine market in Asia. In many parts of the continent, especially China, wine is advertised as a healthy alternative apéritif or a means of imitating Western ways and lifestyle. In brief, wine remains a sort of novelty item that Asian consumers are experimenting with. So it makes sense that the kid-in-a-candy-shop sort of marketing, offering brightly colored bottles and passing fancy, is so attractive to this demographic. The potential problem is that introducing Asian customers to a media craze and quantity over quality doesn’t necessarily encourage further experimentation. The French are rightfully worried that their wines are being sold short and also risk missing an opportunity to see increasing sales much longer in the East.
However, the French are not ones to break with tradition, and they will gather in brasseries, bars, and at home to celebrate this Fête, only you won’t find Beaujolais Nouveau on their dinner table. In its place will be Borgogne, Bordeaux, or any number of other great full-bodied reds. Take the Beaujolais out of the day, and you still have a reason for a party, it turns out.
On this particular Thursday in November, families and friends get together to celebrate a new season, of not only reds, but of the oranges and eventual browns of autumnal leaves. A season of roasted chestnuts and open fires. A fleeting season, which allows just enough time to look around at those you love and to appreciate all you have, without the horrible hangover afterwards.