Le Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé!
 

Anyone try it yet? Anyone going to a tasting party? I remember when I was living in Paris this was always a fun time of year. The wine usually tastes like crap but there's a certain charm to the whole thing that is enjoyable.

I well remember owning a wine shop where I'd have to order at least 40 cases of this stuff to meet demand. Then they started offering staged pricing...for cases flown in, or for cases sent by boat. These days, demand is way below the old days. Part of it is due to the French no longer having the U.S. market share they once did. I suspect it's also due to the novelty wearing off, and - as you say - a large percentage of it is crap.

As a winemaker, I'd love nothing more than to be able to sell my wine 30-60 days after I'd harvested it. But I'm in it to make good wine...and that takes time. Just ask Orson Wells! ;)

Every year I think maybe it'd be fun to get a bottle, and then I remember I don't like it much, so I don't always get around to it.

But last year I found I had an opportunity to go back in time: a liquor store (as distinct from wine shop) had available in its bin ends rack the 2005 and 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau :eek:, as well as the current 2007 release! That's right, a three-year BN vertical! And the older vintages were 10% off!

I sorta regret not offering to purchase them on the condition that I get to watch the brothers who owned the store drink them. Needless to say, the owners were beer guys.

There was a time that I thought this was a big deal. But as I've progressed in my wine education over the years ;), you wouldn't catch me anywhere near this low end stuff.

I was invited to a tasting party at the French Embassy here in DC tomorrow night, but had to cancel. Stupid cable repair guy could only come between 5-8pm!

Never been a HUGE beaujolais noveau fan anyways....so it's not the end of the world.

It's not like the stuff goes bad. That presupposes it was good to start with!

Well, this year's crop won't disappoint. We had a small ceremony/tasting at work today. It tastes just like last years with maybe a bit more vulcanized rubber. Too much carbonic maceration anyone? ;)
Still, it was fun to toast the vintage and goof off for a bit.

"Too much carbonic maceration"?? How do you think they get that bruised bannana aroma?! ;)

It was no worse nor no better than prior years.

I liked the plastic bottle, though! :cool:

They were even flogging the stuff off the JR Shinkansen tea/bento trolleys (all decked out with rubber grapes to mark the arrival).

I wasn't tempted.

i always liken it to fresh banana bread, right out of the oven..or the batter that goes into the oven, right in the bottom of the pan. yum.

in my wine though, no thanks.

My local shop was selling this year's DeBeouf for $12.99, and also the '07 for $4.99.

Here in NYC got the DeBeouf for $9.99. I overpaid by $9.

I saw a sign in a window for this stuff at some Jazz cafe in SF.

--Russ

$12.99 out here too