Beaujolais

Anytime after midnight on the third Thursday of each November it’s fun to sample the first of the Beaujolais Nouveau. This is the new wine that just weeks before was a cluster of grapes in a grower’s vineyard in Burgundy. Then, harvested quickly, fermented rapidly, and bottled speedily, the resulting wine was carried by motorcycle, balloon, pickup, helicopter, jet, dinghy, elephant, runners, and rickshaw to its final destinations all over the world. It may all seem silly, but half the fun is knowing that on this same day—in homes, cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars, and bistros, citizens the world over celebrate the birth of a new wine. Even when the wine has lost a bit of its youth, it remains a delight. While Beaujolais may not be considered by some to be a serious wine, we think its unstuffy character deserves its own place in the sun—perhaps at your next picnic.