Thursday, November 21, 2019: Beaujolais Nouveau returns to cellars and tables!

For over 60 years, the end of November has been synonymous with the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau in the cellars. This year's release takes place on Thursday, November 21, at midnight. An event eagerly awaited by many wine lovers, both in France and abroad. Indeed, while this is a French tradition, it is no less famous in other countries around the world, such as Japan and the United States. And if every year we hear the same refrain, "it tastes like bananas", we always take pleasure in tasting - in moderation, of course - the new vintage. The release of this primeur wine is also an opportunity to get together with friends for an aperitif or a good meal.

A wine tradition celebrated on the 3rd Thursday in November

This custom was introduced in 1951. That year, a decree was issued in September prohibiting the sale of AOC wines before December 15. However, in the face of protests from winegrowers, the government of the time decided to authorize the sale of certain wines before this date, just a few weeks after the harvest, with one condition: the addition of the word "nouveau". Thus was born Beaujolais Nouveau, celebrated every year on the 3rd Thursday in November, which falls on the 21st in 2019. A symbol of conviviality, it's nicknamed "le vin des copains" ("the wine of friends"), and its price is affordable because it doesn't keep very long. And to be able to put this appellation on a bottle, it is necessary to comply with very precise (and demanding) specifications.

A festive vin de primeur appreciated in France ... and abroad

Beaujolais Nouveau is not only sold in France. In fact, it is now distributed in over 100 countries and 25 million bottles are produced every year. So we're not the only ones waiting for it on the 3rd Thursday in November! Among lovers of this vin de primeurThese include the United States, Japan (the leading importer with 5.82 million bottles annually), Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and China. In France, the wine is celebrated in all four corners of the country, but the Beaujolais region - which stretches across 2 départements, Rhône and Saône-et-Loire - is undoubtedly the one where events linked to this release are the most numerous. So, from November 21 to 24, 2019, a variety of events are planned, including tastings, special evenings and staging to welcome the new edition. In Lyon, for example, barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau arrive by barge on the Quai Saint-Georges shortly before midnight, and are then rolled down to Place Saint-Jean, followed by a brass band and a torchlight procession. The piercing ceremony takes place at midnight, kicking off the tastings.