Hooray for the Nouveau!

First, though, we have to clarify one thing: not all Beaujolais is Nouveau! Beaujolais Nouveau, released for sale only a few weeks after the harvest, on the third Thursday of November, is a fun, affordable wine that is a celebration of the harvest. This, along with its ability to “go with” so many dishes makes it an ideal choice for our own Harvest Feast, Thanksgiving. I look forward to the annual arrival of the Nouveau, as it gives us a good idea of what kind of year it was in the vineyard. For many years I’ve cooked a huge Cassoulet on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, following a recipe from James Beard. Since so many of my friends are in the wine or restaurant business, this is the last weekend before our busy season begins. We have a great time, eating this hardy dish called the “soul of French Gastronomy” and drinking bottles of chilled Beaujolais Nouveau! None of my friends are wine snobs, so quaffing the Nouveau a few days after it has reached our shores is a shared delight. Did I say snob? One way to tell a wine lover from a wine snob is to simply mention Beaujolais. The wine lovers will smile in anticipation of a glass to enjoy with friends, while the snobs will roll their eyes, sneer and make deprecating sounds.

Beaujolais is a region in France located just north of Lyon along the Saône River in the south of Burgundy. Hundreds of years of trial-and-error have resulted in the planting of only two grapes in Beaujolais: Gamay for the red wines and Chardonnay for the whites. In the northernmost part of Beaujolais, many of the white wines are labeled Macon Blanc. The Gamay has the aroma of ripe red berries, and the winemaking methods used here often include an initial whole-cluster fermentation in sealed tanks which will help to preserve this fresh and lively “nose”. This step is called Carbonic Maceration.

Wine labeled simply “Beaujolais” or “Beaujolais Nouveau” can be made from grapes grown almost anywhere within Beaujolais. One step up the ladder of quality brings us to Beaujolais Villages, from grapes located in better-situated areas. For everyday drinking, Beaujolais Villages from a good winemaker can be both delicious and a bargain.

Beaujolais Nouveau at Red White & Bubbly

Join us at Red White & Bubbly as we celebrate the arrival of the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau! We open the first bottles on Thursday, November 16th at 5 P.M. Our good friends at restaurant Belleville on 5th Avenue will offer a special Beaujolais Nouveau Celebration Dinner on Thursday, and we hope that you’ll join us there after the tasting!

We’ll also have the Nouveau open on Friday from 5 until 8, and our annual Red White & Bubbly Beaujolais Nouveau Tasting Party will be held on Saturday, November 18th, from 2 until 6. I am delighted to announce that our good friend Phoebe Leger will be with us again this year, and hearing Phoebe play her amazing repertoire while sipping a Beaujolais Nouveau has become an annual Park Slope event. Some delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by restaurant Belleville, our favorite Park Slope Bistro, will be served, too! Do not miss this!

Sunday, we will continue our tasting from 2 until 6. Stop in for a copy of my favorite recipe for Cassoulet any time over the weekend. Inspired by a recipe from James Beard, this recipe makes a Cassoulet that is the best I’ve eaten. One year my friends Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn and Wine Importer Serge Doré were at my house eating Cassoulet, and they called the room to silence. “No one who is not French can make a Cassoulet this good” said Serge. Roger added, “We have decided, therefore, that you, Darrin, must be French. Now, if you will, please step forward.” I stood in front of them and Serge tapped me on both shoulders with a wooden spoon while Roger poured me a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, and they declared me, then and there, for all to know and for all time, to be an Honorary Frenchman. The Cassoulet and the wine were that good!