Winery Henry FessyBel-Air Beaujolais Nouveau

The wine region of Beaujolais Nouveau

Beaujolais Nouveau is the name given to Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages wines that are released almost immediately after the harvest. Perhaps the most famous expression of the Gamay Grape, these light, Fruity reds are usually the first of the year's harvest in France, and are released each year with great fanfare internationally. For centuries, simple wines made from freshly harvested grapes have quenched the thirst of Vineyard workers at the end of the harvest in Beaujolais, but traditionally they were only distributed locally. Interest in the style spread following the reform of appellation law at the end of the Second World War and by the 1960s the first Beaujolais wines were widely sold throughout France as soon as they were released, often with the announcement "Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! Beaujolais producers saw the marketing opportunities in being the first wine of the harvest and a "race" to get the first bottle of wine to Paris was set up by some of the biggest names, promoting the Nouveau style and attracting international interest.

The wine region of Beaujolais

Beaujolais is an important wine region in eastern France, famous for its vibrant, Fruity red wines made from Gamay. It is located immediately South of Burgundy, of which it is sometimes considered a Part, although it is in the administrative region of Rhône. The extensive plantings of Gamay in this region make Beaujolais one of the few regions in the world that is so concentrated on a single Grape variety. Pinot Noir is used in small quantities in red and rosé wines, but in the name of regional identity, it is being phased out and will only be allowed until the 2015 harvest.