Written by David Setley

Since the 19th century, farmers of wine grapes in France’s Beaujolais region have celebrated the vendange (the wine grape harvest) by quickly producing and releasing a wine from that year’s harvest. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Beaujolais winemakers and distributors officially named the wine Beaujolais Nouveau in 1951 and declared November 15 as the release date. Interest in the annual wine event grew significantly in the European market over the next two decades as distributors raced to be the first to deliver the wine to market on release day. In 1985, the Beaujolais Nouveau release date was changed to the third Thursday in November to better align with the upcoming weekend, making this year’s release date Thursday, Nov. 17.

In the United States, we have only celebrated Beaujolais Nouveau Day since the 1980’s when it was introduced to the US market by entrepreneurial French winemaker Georges Duboeuf. With Thanksgiving just one week later, the annual event has skyrocketed in popularity in America.

However, there is more to the Beaujolais region than Beaujolais Nouveau wine. Gamay is the primary wine grape grown in Beaujolais, which is in the eastern region of France and the southernmost wine region of the Burgundy AOC. Gamay was initially grown throughout Burgundy until it was banished to the extreme south by the Duke of Burgundy to make as much room as possible for the growth of Pinot Noir grapes. Fortunately for Gamay grapes, the granite soil of the Beaujolais terroir was ideal for the varietal. Unfortunately, the Gamay grape and the Beaujolais region as a whole have a questionable reputation among wine connoisseurs, as most consumers associate both with the rapidly fermented, young wine of Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It’s time to give the region and the grape a second look.

Beaujolais contains a region to the far north, known as Beaujolais-Villages, and ten “cru” subregions where the finest wines are produced. Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent are arguably the two premier subregions of Beaujolais. My personal favorite Beaujolais Gamay is the AF Gros — Moulin-à-Vent en Mortperay 2020. This complex, well-structured, medium garnet-colored wine has a lightly floral and red berry aroma with significant spiciness and earthiness. It is relatively full-bodied, with flavors of spice, red fruit and soil. This wine will intrigue and satisfy the most discriminating wine enthusiast – give it a try!