Focus On: Beaujolais Nouveau 2025

The third Thursday in November should be a date for everyone’s diary, it certainly was in its heyday, when huge celebrations greeted the arrival of the newly harvested Gamay grape. Increasingly, after a dip in its quality, it is becoming the date that all oenophiles like to keep.

Beaujolais Nouveau’s fame was first celebrated early in the 20th Century by the harvest workers from the region. Beaujolais, unlike its rather grander neighbour Burgundy, uniquely did not have to be aged and under French laws could be released at 12.01am on the third Thursday of November, ushering in a grand celebration of the harvest. With its bouncing cherry and fresh gluggable features it was a party wine to bring joy to those who had worked hard to bring in the year’s grapes. As time went on, word of this festive wine’s fame crossed the Channel and it soon became a fixture of the fun loving Seventies and Eighties… think Keith Floyd in a loud striped shirt, Gitanes in hand, slurping the fruity and fresh red, whilst shouting at his embattled cameraman. The wine became known as ‘the world’s fastest wine’ and annual races took place as to who could get a case of wine back to England in the shortest time. Restaurants and hotels would celebrate with riotous parties. It was a good time wine for good time people, often in large shoulder pads.

Sadly, like the Filofax, the party could not last and overproduction and a reduction in quality tarnished the wine’s name and Beaujolais Nouveau became known for thin, not desperately enjoyable or exciting wine that was more to be avoided than quaffed in quantity. 

However, a renaissance has taken place in recent years, with often young producers, who could not possibly afford land in the grand surroundings of Burgundy, finding a home for their winemaking skills in the villages of Beaujolais. Quality and value for money have become a benchmark of the area, with some of the Cru appellations producing wine that can be compared to vastly more expensive red Burgundy. Morgon, Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent being just some of the names to look out for. 

Beaujolais Nouveau, the first release and expression of these wines each year has regained its reputation as a fun, ‘fast wine’ that should be appreciated for what it is, something rather special but not serious, a celebration of the joys of life and the grape. Its fruity fragrance and flavours of strawberries and cherries should bring joy. Have it chilled perhaps, certainly with friends and never take it too seriously. It is the vinous equivalent of Joanna Lumley, not Arthur Scargill and who wouldn’t want to have a glass with Joanna, maybe three, or come to think of it, the whole bottle.

https://generalwine.com/products/jean-michel-dupre-la-votre-beaujolais-nouveau-2025