Beaujolais Nouveau

[jsolomon]

So, a pretty good friend of mine just bought a house. I'm thinking of getting a Beaujulais nouveau (yeah, so I took Japanese instead of french) to help warm her house.

Brands? Prices? Quality?

Help?

[tommy]

i don't think that would be a very good present. get something that will age well past 1 week. david bruce makes some nice pinots, at about 20 bucks a bottle or so, if you're looking for a red.

as far as beaujolais nouveau goes, you might want to check out this and this.

Edited December 2, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Personally I think BN is pretty insipid crap. Give me a full blown Burgundy or a Pinot Noir any day.

[jsolomon]

Hmm, pretty heavy-duty opinors weighing in here. I may have to go for some port or other yummy get-drunker-faster things, then. Thanks!

[Jason Perlow]

The other thing about BN is you have to drink it while it is still young, as in IMMEDIATELY. Like within 2 to 3 months. Thats the whole "Nouveau" aspect of it, its the first made wine of the new harvest, it hasnt really been aged. A lot of unscrupulous wine stores keep the stuff around for a year or two and still sell it.

Basically, old BN is good for throwing into a sphagetti sauce or a red wine reduction, if that.

http://www.intowine.com/beaujolais2.html

Apart from the fanfare, what makes Beaujolais Nouveau so popular? And especially in the U.S. where consumption of red wine is less than 30%? Simply put, Beaujolais Nouveau is as about as close to white wine as a red wine can get. Due to the way it is made—the must is pressed early after only three days—the phenolic compounds, in particular the astringent tannins, normally found in red wines, isn't there, leaving an easy to drink, fruity wine. This, coupled with the fact that it tastes best when chilled, makes for a festive wine to be gulped rather than sipped, enjoyed in high spirits rather than critiqued. As a side note, it makes a great transitional wine for anyone wanting to move from white to red wines.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Hmm, pretty heavy-duty opinors weighing in here. I may have to go for some port or other yummy get-drunker-faster things, then. Thanks!

Much better idea - the port, that is.

BN = crap. End of sentence.

[Craig Camp]

I hate to be obvious, but I would take a nice bottle of Champagne.

[KatieLoeb]

A set of decent wineglasses with a bottle of wine is a standard gift from me for many occasions. Always appreciated. You can find Riedel or Speigelau online or at Amazon.com (is that deal still running, BTW?). Even the short stemmed "tasting" glasses are a great gift, and they can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher

[futronic]

Katie,

The Amazon deal is still on. 6 Bordeaux + 6 Burgundy stems for $29.99 with free shipping to boot.

Too bad the offer is only for the US. They won't ship to Canada, and Amazon.ca doesn't sell stemware. If they did, I'd have a dozen of each on their way as I type this. :(

[jsolomon]

So, I am not familiar with the Saturday afternoon help at my Local Wine Shop (LWS).

I was chatting with them about wines I should get to introduce a friend into wine a bit tonight. The issue is: I have no idea what her tastes are.

But, he talked me into a Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau. Anybody have any taste notes from it this year?

What I have for her to taste is the safe (a nice QMP German Riesling), the tasty (a decent tawny port), and the completely unknown (the beaujolais nouveau).

Am I a retard, or just overworried?

[Rebel Rose]

J-So,

Your choice of a Nouveau is very timely, and your companion is indescribably lucky that you are offering a range of vinous experiences in the spirit of discovering what she likes. How cool is that?

The GdBoeuf is consistent from year to year and available in, ahem, distant markets such as, say, Nebraska. If your companion enjoys her introduction to Beaujolais, perhaps she will introduce her friends to the concept as well, thus furthering our thirst, vampire-like, for increased demand of this fresh, virginal red.

Oh, sorry. When's your date? ::evil leer::

[Susan in FL]

I agree... that's nice!

I went to a tasting last Thursday, sampled five, and bought three. I thought the Michel Picard was the best, but it wouldn't be nouveau night without Georges DuBoeuf! That is consistent, except for last year when it was better than it's been in several years.

We just bought three bottles of the DuBoeuf 2003 Beaujolais-Villages and it's good, too. I'm on the lookout for his 2003 Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon.

[Jason Perlow]

I know many people will hate me for this, but over the years I have come to the conclusion that BN is a a totally overrated and insipid type of wine, no matter what the producer, and one would be better suited towards buying some other sort of plonk instead. Or a Beaujolais that has had time to mature, period.

For Thanksgiving, if there has to be some red on the table (and I am more inclined towards Germanic whites to begin with to accompany turkey), I think I'd rather have a decent Pinot Noir.

[Dana]

Jason, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks BN is overrated. Last one I had tasted liked banana flavoring in a wine glass. YUK Give me a glass of just about anything but that.

[Wine_Dad]

I know many people will hate me for this, but over the years I have come to the conclusion that BN is a a totally overrated and  insipid type of wine, no matter what the producer, and one would be better suited towards buying some other sort of plonk instead. Or a Beaujolais that has had time to mature, period.

For Thanksgiving, if there has to be some red on the table (and I am more inclined towards Germanic whites to begin with to accompany turkey), I think I'd rather have a decent Pinot Noir.

←

Here, here.

Every year I host an "Anything but Beaujolias Nouveau" party. It's a huge hit.

[Jason Perlow]

For those who want to see Georges Duboeuf in full marketing form, have a look at their web propaganda for Beaujolais Nouveau:

http://www.winewithoutrules.com/home.php

And their "From Grape to Glass" videos, which although clearly propaganda, is still interesting to watch:

http://www.winewithoutrules.com/grape-to-glass.html

[Rebel Rose]

Certainly at the 1 million case production point it's ah . . . a little commercialized . . . but . . .

You guys are missing the point of serving beaujolais (which has that Gothic-romance word "beau" in it . . .) to a new date. It has a romantic history. It's fruity and unassuming. It's exactly right. J-So might be one of those incredibly lucky guys who is actually surrounded by pink-cheeked, apron-frocked midwest milchfraus who may, once introduced to wine, become our alter-egos.

BJ is a celebration of harvest, and this is the perfect time of year to tell the story. He's got a riesling, a tawny port, and a beaujolais for her tasting pleasure. I would rather drink a beaujolais with J-So under those circumstances than an expensive wine of any pedigree with a man who chose it for me pre-acquaintance.

[Chris Cognac]

I have a bottle of and should crack it open soon....I am interested to see how it is.

[Susan in FL]

I don't hate anybody for their taste in wine.

I expected such responses about Beaujolais Nouveau, because every year the same posts come along calling it crap. Seems that among some, it has become more of a tradition to complain about Beaujolais Nouveau than its annual release is!

It is what it is, and I think it's a fun wine during this brief but sweet couple of months (sometimes a little longer). Like Rebel Rose, I'll continue to enjoy the celebration of the harvest, its history, the tradition, and the simple pleasure of drinking something that tastes good.

For those concerned about giving it as a gift, I'd suggest telling the recipient about it, if he or she is one who doesn't know about nouveau wine.

[Busboy]

Susan in FL

I expected such responses about Beaujolais Nouveau, because every year the same posts come along calling it crap. Seems that among some, it has become more of a tradition to complain about Beaujolais Nouveau than its annual release is!

I think BN is overpriced these days, but back when it was cheap and I was poor, I quite enjoyed knocking back a bottle or two of the stuff as the holiday season approached. One year we had friends over to make and hang Christmas tree decorations and do a Beaujolais Nouveau "tasting". We all got schnockered and one friend made little replicas of her absentee boyfriend's naughty bits that, along with the more traditional offereings, hung discreetly from the tree for many years. It was a fun night and the big, grapy wine felt appropriately festive, if not particularly sophisticated.

Maybe the quality's gone down as the prices and marketing efforts have risen, but my memory of the wine is that it makes quite a pleasant little beverage, especially if consumed in front of the fire on a cold night.

Edited November 28, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

I think I've figured something out -- BN is a GREAT wine for folks who are; A) trying to get introduced to wine in general, B) trying to segue from having only drunk white wine into trying some reds, or C) eating a turkey sandwich.

I went to a friend's house where the sandwiches were being served. They are newbies to wine and had a bottle of BN open. The sandwiches where flavorful and relatively moist, but the light, fruity, and accessibility of the BN was a nice accompaniment to the sandwich. I think it would be a fine picnic wine except that (as many have indicated previously in the thread), drinking the wine young is imperative and picnic weather may not be around for several months for a lot of folks...

[Busboy]

I think I've figured something out -- BN is a GREAT wine for folks who are; A) trying to get introduced to wine in general, B) trying to segue from having only drunk white wine into trying some reds, or C) eating a turkey sandwich.

←

There are no bad wines. Only bad pairings.

[jsolomon]

J-So,

Oh, sorry.  When's your date? ::evil leer:: 

←

Last night. I decided to go with a different red. I had a German red knocking around my apartment that I took over instead of the BN. She enjoyed the Riesling, and the red whose grape escapes me right now. The tawny port she wasn't hot on because of the strong raisin overtones.

So, the score for the night? 10 for 10 on bravery in trying new wine.

Slightly lacking on personal history, though. She'll get additional dates, but probably not a relationship.

Now, I have a bottle of BN, and I'm going to be out of town for 3 weeks Shoulda brought it over last night. I'm not sure how that stuff will cellar in my crappy apartment, and I won't be in a place where it's appropriate to drink it, IMO.

[jsolomon]

There are no bad wines.  Only bad pairings.

←

It's been a while since you've had Mad Dog, then. Right?

I'm still recovering from my introduction to it 2 years ago. Those mental scars run deep.

[Busboy]

There are no bad wines.  Only bad pairings.

←

It's been a while since you've had Mad Dog, then. Right?

I'm still recovering from my introduction to it 2 years ago. Those mental scars run deep.

←

As I recall, Mad Dog goes well with someone's dad's aging convertible and a summer evening's drive to a baseball game. Also with pretzels and a joint, or (I hear) certain Jewish religious ceremonies at the home of aging relatives.