What is Beaujolais Nouveau?
Quick answer
Beaujolais Nouveau is a young red wine released just weeks after harvest, traditionally on the third Thursday of November each year. Made from the Gamay grape using a rapid winemaking technique called carbonic maceration, it is designed to be drunk immediately — fresh, fruity, and fun.
Detailed answer
Every November, wine shops around the world celebrate the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau — a cheerful, easy-drinking red wine that goes from vine to glass in a matter of weeks. It is one of wine's great annual rituals, and it divides opinion like few other bottles.
Beaujolais Nouveau is made from the Gamay grape, grown in the Beaujolais region just north of Lyon in France. What makes it special is speed: the grapes are harvested in September, vinified using a technique called carbonic maceration, and released to the public on the third Thursday of November — just six to eight weeks later. Around 15-20 million bottles are produced each year.
Carbonic maceration is the secret behind the style. Whole bunches of grapes are placed in a sealed tank filled with carbon dioxide. Fermentation begins inside the intact berries, extracting colour and bright, fruity flavours — think strawberries, bananas, and bubblegum — while keeping tannins to a minimum. The result is a light, smooth, and irresistibly gulpable wine.
The Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, when the phrase 'Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!' became a global marketing sensation, largely thanks to the legendary négociant Georges Duboeuf. At its peak in 1996, sales exceeded 60 million bottles worldwide.
How to enjoy it: serve it slightly chilled (12-14 °C) and drink it within a few months of release. It pairs brilliantly with charcuterie, roast chicken, pizza, and mild cheeses. Think of it as a celebration wine — casual, sociable, and not meant to be taken too seriously.
Important distinction: Beaujolais Nouveau is not the same as the serious cru wines of Beaujolais — Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Brouilly, and others. Those are traditionally vinified wines with real complexity and ageing potential (5-15 years for the best), and they represent some of the greatest values in French wine today.