From the Blog
Celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day Nov. 18
Beaujolais Nouveau is a red wine made primarily from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region in France and fermented for just a few weeks before it is released for sale annually on the third Thursday of November.
Going back to the 1800’s, Beaujolais growers would gather to celebrate the end of the harvest by toasting the vintage with some of the young wine produces that year. The wine used to be released from France at 12:01 on the third Thursday of November, but as time has passed and luck would have it, these wines are now shipped ahead of time so that it can be released simultaneously around the world on the third Thursday in November.
In France and other parts of the world “Beaujolais Day” is a big event and accompanied by over 100 Beaujolais Nouveau festivals in the Beaujolais region. In the US, the release of the wine comes just ahead of our biggest food holiday and has become a popular option for setting the Thanksgiving table as it coincidentally pairs well with white meats like turkey.
The wine itself is a purple-pink wine reflecting its youth having only been bottled 6-8 weeks after its harvest. This method of production leads to a wine that is higher in acidity and very low in tannin. It will have bright, fresh red fruit flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry along with some ester flavors of banana, grape and fig. It is recommended to be served slightly chilled at 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
This wine is intended to be consumed shortly after bottling, so make sure you stop in any of our three stores on or shortly after November 18 and celebrate the end of harvest.
Cheers!
Linda Fritz-Murphy, New Pi Purchasing Manager
As purchasing manager for the co-op, Linda oversees product selection, inventory, pricing and promotion. Linda’s interest in the natural foods industry sparked when she became a mother, reading up on the link between our health and what we put in our bodies. Joining the Co-op team in 2014, Linda took on various rolls at the Coralville store including assistant store lead before moving into her current position in 2016.