It's
Beaujolais Nouveau Day!
Thursday, November 20th
"AT
ONE MINUTE PAST MIDNIGHT" on
the third Thursday of each November, from little villages and towns
like Romanche-Thorins, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin
their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment
to all parts of the world.
Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arriv! (The
New Beaujolais has arrived!) One of the most frivolous and animated
rituals in the wine world has begun. By the time it is over nearly half
of the region's total annual production will be distributed and drunk
around the world. It has become a worldwide race to be the first to
serve to this new wine of the harvest. In doing so, it has been carried
by motorcycle, balloon, truck, helicopter, Concorde jet, elephant, runners
and rickshaws to get it to its final destination. Just weeks before
this wine was a cluster of grapes in a growers vineyard. But by an expeditious
harvest, a rapid fermentation, and a speedy bottling, all is ready at
the midnight hour."
D'Vine
has secured a direct shipment of multiple cases of the wine and would
love for you to join us in the celebration. Available by the bottle
and the glass it will be first come first serve until we drink it all.
Food specials as well as prize drawings for those who bring along a
non-perishable food item will be available all night.
Doors
will open at 4:00pm and we expect to celebrate well into the night.
As last year's turnout was fantastic, we ask that you please rsvp (216)241-8463
or email D'Vine
The
History of Beaujolais Nouveau:
Beaujolais Nouveau began as a local
phenomenon in the local bars, cafes, and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons.
Each fall the new Beaujolais would arrive with much fanfare. In pitchers
filled from the growers barrels, wine was drunk by an eager population.
It was wine made fast to drink while the better Beaujolais was taking
a more leisurely course. Eventually, the government stepped into regulate
the sale of all this quickly transported, free-flowing wine.
In 1938 regulations and restrictions were put in place to restrict the
where, when, and how of all this carrying on. After the war years, in
1951, these regulations were revoked by the region's governing body--the
Union Interprofessional des Vins de Beaujolais (UIVB)--and the Beaujolais
Nouveau was officially recognized. The official release date was set
for November 15th. Beaujolais Nouveau was officially born.
By this time, what was just a local tradition had gained so much popularity
that the news of it reached Paris. The race was born. It wasn't long
thereafter that the word spilled out of France and around the world.
In 1985, the date was again changed, this time to the third Thursday
of November tying it to a weekend and making the celebration complete.
But wherever the new Beaujolais went, importers had to agree not to
sell it before midnight on the third Thursday of November.
