25 October 2007 by Sandy Hemphill
Festive Nouveau Beaujolais
When the world of wine seems too heavy, stuffy, and complicated to be fun anymore, consider enjoying a light, lively bottle of festive Nouveau Beaujolais.Unlike so many other serious wines that require a great deal of aging and coddling, this sprightly wine is meant to be enjoyed soon after bottling. And it’s one of the few reds that actually tastes best chilled.The people of Beaujolais celebrate the bottling of the new wine every year with a festival where the new (nouveau) wine is enjoyed as soon as possible. No one waits for the wine to age.And no one sips this juicy, fruity wine either. Festive Nouveau Beaujolais is considered a gulpable wine, meant to be enjoyed in great quantity, just like beer and cider. Right now.To add to the fun nature of festive Nouveau Beaujolais wines, most vintners use labels for their bottles that are vibrantly colored and sprightly by design. And the price tag is usually less than $10.Bottling takes place each year about the same time Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. And not only the timing is right. Festive Nouveau Beaujolais is an excellent accompaniment to the traditional Thanksgiving feast and it’s also a good choice when trying to please a crowd.A very appropriate story about festive Nouveau Beaujolais is told by Pam. Never one to turn down the chance to party, Pam really appreciates the way the Nouveau Beaujolais hits the shelves in time for Thanksgiving. She always considers it an opportunity for intertwined intercontinental celebration.Pam was hosting her family’s Thanksgiving festivities. Her mom, Nadine, asked how she could help and Pam poured her a glass of Nouveau Beaujolais to get started with. She told Nadine that this isn’t typical wine. You have to drink it fast. She really should have said that long-term aging is inappropriate for this particular varietal.Never one to cause a stir, Nadine followed orders to the letter. She gulped down one glass and then another in quick succession. When she asked for a third glass, Pam was exasperated.“Mom! What are you trying to do? You’re going to be plastered before the bird comes out of the oven,” Pam exclaimed in disbelief. This behavior was so uncharacteristic of prim and proper Nadine.“But, Pam, you told me I had to drink it fast. I’m just trying to do what you said,” poor Nadine replied.They both had a good laugh, a glass of wine, the bird roasted to perfection, and a very good time was had by all.