The 2008 Beaujolais Nouveaus Are Here! Who Cares!
Today officially marks the release of the 2008 vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau, a period of drinking and merrymaking that I compare to New Year’s Eve. It’s for rookies.
I so hate being a snob, but Beaujolias Nouveau is not a serious drinker’s wine. It’s thin and fruity, with none of the tannic backbone and complexity that I like in a vino. Its popularity strikes me as distinctly American, even if its roots are French Why? Because some clever marketers, as Wikipedia notes, figured out a way to offload a bunch of “vin ordinaire at a good profit.”
And we all continue to buy the hype.
Our friends over a DCist have compiled a list of this year’s
Beaujolais Nouveau parties, some of which actually sound pretty fun. So go enjoy. We won’t judge you.
Image courtesy of Flickr user jetalone.
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10:52 am
Totally agree about this. I have yet to drink a BN that wowed me. The ones I’ve had have all been too fruity and too acidic. “Thin” is a great description. Add weedy, whiny, needy. It’s the yapping, trembling, sequin-sweater wearing poodle of French wines.
12:37 pm
Come on guys … we can make fun of all the hype, but there’s nothing wrong with a party excuse … and it’s never (well, not anyone with a palate) been made out to be anything more than fun wine juice. They’ve even cleaned up some of the flaws that used to add to the festivities … the yeasty incomplete fermentation was always a favorite of mine … buy 6 bottles, throw it in the frig and drink it through Thanksgiving and then stop!
12:40 pm
I used to enjoy BN when I wasn’t all that familiar with good red wines and was under the impression that all reds tasted like the swill you get at cheap restaurants. Then I had a good Tuscan red and it was an epiphany. I still don’t know jack about wine but I can’t see myself buying BN again. Still, the parties sound fun.