Traditionally, on the third Thursday of November at exactly midnight, the holiday of the «New Beaujolais» — young wine made in a small region north of Lyon comes to French soil.
The holiday «Beaujolais Nouveau (Beaujolais Nouveau) appeared in France in the mid-20th century and had a purely commercial basis. In principle, wine made from «game» grapes, which are traditionally grown in Beaujolais, is noticeably inferior in quality to the products of winemakers in Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Some French monarchs even called Beaujolais « a disgusting swill» and categorically forbade serving it to their table. As a rule, Beaujolais is not adapted for long-term storage, but it matures faster than bordeaux or Burgundy wines, and it is at a young age that it is distinguished by a rather rich taste and aromatic bouquet.
After reflection, Beaujolais winemakers decided to turn the shortcomings of their product into good and proclaimed the third Thursday of November as the holiday of wine of the new harvest. This advertising and marketing ploy turned into an unprecedented success, and now the day «Beaujolais nouveau» goes on sale is celebrated not only in France, but also in many other countries around the world.
One of the indicators of the annual global rush on the third Thursday of November was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records — in 1993. $1450 was paid for the first glass of Beaujolais Nouveau in one English pub.
Gradually the holiday acquired its own traditions. The third Thursday of November became the «day of the winemaker», the day when the whole country walks, and when it becomes possible to assess how successful the harvest was this year. In addition, this is also a popular and fashionable tradition that was invented by residents of the most wine-producing country in the world.
As usual, winemakers from the town of Beaujau are starting the celebration. Holding lit grapevine torches in their hands, they solemnly march out into the city square, where barrels of young wine have already been installed. At exactly midnight, plugs are knocked out, and the intoxicating jets of «Beaujolais nouveau» begin their next annual journey around France and the whole world.
A few days before the holiday, from small villages and cities in the Beaujolais region, millions of bottles of young wine begin their journey from France to countries and continents, where they are already eagerly awaited in shops and cafes, restaurants and clubs.
For their owners, hosting a celebration of young wine — is a matter of honor! There is even a competition between producers to see who will be the first to deliver their wine to one or another part of the world.
Regardless of the time zone, Beaujolais tasting of the new crop begins on the third Thursday of each November. The phrase «Le Beaujolais est arrivé!» even became widespread (from French — « Beaujolais has arrived!»), which serves as the motto for the celebrations taking place on this day around the world.