The excitement over the holidays is building! People are bustling around the store with long lists of ingredients that all add up to the perfect Thanksgiving meal. For me, the true mark of the holidays is the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau.  Beaujolais Nouveau hits store floors the third Thursday of November every year, and I must say I’m as excited as ever to see what it tastes like.

If you’re wondering why this little French Burgundy causes such a stir, it’s because each year it’s the first wine released from France, thereby serving as a point of reference for the upcoming vintage.  If the Nouveau is fresh and fruity, as it should be, the wines of France should be concentrated and ripe with fruit.  If it is acidic and tart, the wines may need a little more time in barrel and bottle to coax out the fruit and let the tannins mature.

As a certified wine geek, I’m especially interested in this year’s release since the spring in France was quite warm and the summer brought unexpected cool rains.  Reports indicate that the 2011 harvest was one of the earliest in history.  As a result, there should be no shortage of fabulous wines.

If you did not already know, we have added wine to our weekend samplings.  Stop in this Saturday, November 19 from 1pm to 4pm and try the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau for yourself!

Enjoy!

– Jennifer Laurie