Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé!

New beaujolais has arrived.

The third Thursday of November brings us this year's beaujolais! This rather unique wine, contrary to the popular saying that* wine gets better with age, is only suitable for drinking when young and fresh. It does not keep very well and has a distinctive, light taste that makes it unsuitable to many "heavy" dishes. It is made from Gamay Noir grapes using the carbonic maceration technique, which is responsible for the light, fruity taste. Because of the nature of this process, beaujolais nouveau must be pasteurized.

The ephemereal nature of this wine has been the chief reason for its festive, cheerful image. Since it has to be drank fresh, the usual practice is to organize parties at which the current year's harvest is consumed, and the Beaujolais day, the aforementioned third Thursday of November, marks the first day of the year when the wine can be sold. Restaurants and vineyards all around the world offer Beaujolais nouveau for degustation, and organize local versions of the fête. Interestingly enough, the second largest fan of the wine - after France, of course - is Japan, but Beaujolais Day is celebrated pretty much everywhere. Part of the reason for my writing this here is the fact that I'll be attending one of those this evening. Hopefully You will have something great to drink as well, since today is a day to celebrate.

So, santé!

* This is quite a common misconception. That is to say, wine can be stored for long periods of time, and often will mellow and enrich the taste. The process is called aging. However, the actual period over which a wine can be safely left to age depends on many of its characteristics. Rosé stores badly and should be drank more or less immediately, and white can be stored, in most cases, for about two or three years, depending on alcohol percentage. Red is the most durable, but five to eight years is the maximum shelf-time You should allow.

This is because wines that are meant to be left for aging tend to be bottled separately, with different techniques and at a different point of the manufacturing process. Aging wine in bottles will always be inferior to storage in barrels, which, in some cases, can reach about 200 years. However, You should not expect the wines on Your kitchen shelf to keep that long.