Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine released of the current vintage; so this year it’s the 2014 vintage. It is a celebration of the harvest and a new year of winemaking. It’s a wine made in a very light and fruity style that is made for drinking right away. I love this tradition and so each year I join in the festivities wholeheartedly. For the past six years I’ve done a blind tasting of a couple of the Beaujolais Nouveau wines that have just been released. It’s a fun tradition and I enjoy taking part. This is my way of hearkening back to a time when celebrating a successful harvest was commonplace because a successful harvest meant a successful winter. And celebrating harvest has long been a way of commemorating what has happened during the previous year.
So this Thanksgiving, or sometime during the holiday season, I encourage to do a few things. First, get a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau. Apart from hearkening to the coming vintage that is yet to be released, it’s a fun tradition and if you’ve never tried it, all the more reason. And two, spend some time, perhaps with a glass of Nouveau at the ready, commemorating what has happened in the past year, the good and the bad. It’ll give you good perspective. It’ll prepare you for the year to come. And it’ll help you be thankful.
To watch me blind taste Nouveau six years running (and to see all the ugly ties) click here.