When autumn arrives each year and splashes its brilliant colors across our beautiful city, it’s like spices are in the air. I can almost smell cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. I’m also reminded of things to come – less humidity, cool crisp evenings, flavorful and seasonal cuisine, and of course …
red wine.

“Le Beaujolais Est Arrivé!”

Literally meaning, “The Beaujolais has arrived!” this phrase rings clear in autumn, and we would be remiss to discuss unique autumn wines without the inclusion of Beaujolais Nouveau, the most distinctive fall wine on the market. Beaujolais (bo–-zho–-’la–) is actually a region that lies just south of Burgundy proper in France that produces this one of a kind wine. Light, fruity and fresh, this red wine is produced from the gamay grape.

The characteristics of gamay include the bright blue-magenta color of the wine, low acidity, moderate tannins, and light to medium body. The aromas associated with the grape are typically red berries, especially strawberry, floral and sometimes banana. The grapes are harvested by hand between late August and early September, and the juice is fermented for just a few days before being released to the public on the third Thursday of November, also known as “Beaujolais Nouveau Day.” It is the first French wine to be released for each vintage year.

From Nouveau to Cru

There are several categories of Beaujolais wine along with Nouveau. There are twelve appellations of Beaujolais wines which include: Beaujolais (and Beaujolais Superieur), Beaujolais-Village, and of course Cru Beaujolais. Cru Beaujolais is the highest classification in Beaujolais, and these wines come from ten Cru villages at the north end of the Beaujolais region.

When shopping for Cru wines, you will not usually find the word Beaujolais prominent on the label. Cru likes to separate itself from the image of Beaujolais Nouveau. Although Nouveau wines are produced to be sipped quite early, cru wines are much more serious with solid structure, fuller body, and deeper intensity. Some of these wines can age up to ten years in the bottle. Moulin-à-Vent is probably the longest lived of all of the Beaujolais wines. There are a very small amount of white and rosé wines produced in Beaujolais.

Run out and grab your favorite Beaujolais wine this fall. These are fresh, delicious wines that can range anywhere from $9 a bottle (Nouveau) to $20 a bottle (Cru) and pair extremely well with traditional Thanksgiving fare. This would be an ideal time to throw a “Beaujolais Nouveau arrival party” as the release in November happens only once a year.