An extended 'Beaujolly' weekend...

Last night we were joined by our neighbour David and friend Karen to continue our research into the quality of this year's nouveau Beaujolais. It was a pleasant end to a weekend that started early on Thursday, being the 3rd Thursday of November and officially 'Beaujolais nouveau day', when we celebrated at the restaurant  'Les Tilleuls' in Barrou. 

On Friday night we headed over to 'Chez L' in Le Grand-Pressigny for more music and Beaujolais.

On Saturday night Pauline made beef bourguignon for our dinner guests adding a rather expensive bottle of  Beaujolais.

...and then last night. Think this year's got the thumbs up in most cases though couldn't find a hint of banana!

Les Beaujolais Nouveaux and the taste of bananas!

The third Thursday of November is a much-awaited and high-profile event in France, the release of the first Beaujolais wines. Probably now more a marketing strategy than an  actual event, it splits the wine lovers of the country into them that won’t and them that do  taste these fresh young wines. We were invited into our French neighbour’s for a tasting – couple of bottles polished off with two saved for when he comes to dinner on Sunday.

David is a mine of information when it comes to wine (and most things) and says that it is actually the Japanese who are first to taste these light red wines.

This site  http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=11552 confirms this  “The third Thursday in November traditionally marks the official debut of the new season’s Beaujolais around the world, and the Japanese are first to get a taste of the light red wine because of the time zone. A spokesman for importer Suntory says Japan will import about 7.2 million bottles of the wine this year. The record for Japan was 12.5 million bottles sold in 2004. “ – not that I ever doubted him!

The first bottle we tried (second from right) had, I'm not lying, the taste of bananas - something that David had asked me of some Bordeaux wines he has shared with us. I was sure then that this was a ' trap' and when he agreed with me re the Beaujolais I still wasn't sure!

We now have our own version 'Touraine primeur' of early wines - these have had a mixed reception -article here on  Novelle Republique.