Wine Article Index

Don’t Get Plucked or Flocked for Thanksgiving!

(or should we say Flucked)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, wine drinkers get a special treat: A wine that only becomes available once a year and only has a drinkable life span of 4 to 6 months.  We’re speaking of Beaujolais Nouveau, a red wine from France.  There are several wines that come from the Beaujolais region, which produces a light, fruity, and quite delicious wine.  The difference here is that the grapes used to make Beaujolais Nouveau are picked just a few weeks before Thanksgiving.  They are quickly crushed, fermented, bottled and in stores just before the holiday.  Because they go from “on the vine” to “on the shelf” so quickly the wine has not developed the chemistry that gives it staying power, or simply put…shelf life.  As a result this wine won’t last more than 6 months, so when you buy it, drink it…don’t save it.

Why is the connection with Thanksgiving so important, you may ask?  Because it is one of the few reds that actually pairs well with Turkey, is the answer.  Lucky for all of us it gets to the stores just in time for America’s National Turkey Day.  And since wine shops know this, you will often see advertisements declaring that the Beaujolais Nouveau is in for Thanksgiving. 

Wait, there’s even more we have to say about Beaujolais Nouveau.  It is one of the few red wines actually enhanced by being served slightly chilled (NOTICE: We said chilled, not cold).  Better yet, the wine is generally quite inexpensive, usually under $10. 

Given all this good stuff about the wine, we wholeheartedly recommend you look for it about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, buy it and enjoy it.  One of the biggest and best Beaujolais Nouveau winemakers is Georg Debouf, though there are many others and they’re all pretty good.

But a word of caution: beware of the unscrupulous wine shop that sells last year’s Beaujolais Nouveau at a discounted price.  Though the wine may be drinkable, it will not be nearly as good as this year’s.  Not because of anything to do with vintage but because it is simply too old at 12 months.  A few years ago I was in a wine store and noticed they had the current year’s wine at full price, and last year’s at half that price.  Sadly I saw many people fall into the cost trap and buy the wrong wine.  So, next time you see that happening, be sure you buy the current year’s bottle, or better yet, find another store.

~WA