Beaujolais nouveau is coming !

 

As every year on the third Thursday of November, the Beaujolais nouveau will be released ! That’s why November is a perfect time to go to the Beaujolais and discover one of the most beautiful regions of France.

When the Beaujolais nouveau is released, many activities are set up to celebrate this particular day. For instance, a marathon is organized and last year, 8200 runners participated in this race. Events also take place in Lyon so that people learn more about wine (free initiations to oenology and many tastings ) and the work of winemakers.

Beaujolais nouveau is the most popular “vin de primeur” ( that is to say it has just fermented for a few weeks ). Every year, around 49 million liters of Beaujolais nouveau are produced which represent half of the region’s total wine production. It is particularly popular in foreign countries because nearly half of the production of Beaujolais nouveau is exported (Germany, Japan and the United States are the three biggest buyers).

But to have the right to wear this glorious name, all the grapes that are involved in the making of the wine must have been hand-picked. That’s why during the month of September a very important workforce is needed to harvest a huge amount of grapes in a small amount of time.

However, the Beaujolais is not a lively region only during this period. Throughout the year, there is animation. For instance, at the beginning of the year, in every town and village of the Beaujolais the feast called “les conscrits” take place. On December the 8^th the “fête des lumières” is also celebrated in all the Beaujolais region.

And don’t worry, people there are very nice and friendly. Some of them may have a strange accent and they will speak of “gone” (which is a word that only exists in this region and means child) but they will always make effots to make themselves understandable.

See you soon in Beaujolais and have fun !