Beaujolais Nouveau
During my weekly shop in the local Sainsbury’s supermarket, I noticed that their Taste the Difference steak pie claimed to be fortified with Beaujolais. A detailed study of the contents revealed that the fortification was not excessive – there were approximately 15mls. of wine in each pie. personally, I would have thought that a fuller-bodied wine would be better suited to this role. Nevertheless, I take my cap off to the grower who found this novel way of cutting down his excess stock of wine before this year’s harvest.
The Beaujolais season is almost upon us, with the Nouveau being released on Thursday 19th November. Now that the wine’s distribution has been organised so that it is in place around the world for the due date, some of the excitement has gone out of the day. It seems many years ago that a brewery in South Wales earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records for beating all records to get the wine into Britain. When I think back over the number of years that I drove madly across northern France with a boot full of wine, I am surprised that I managed to survive unscathed.
Now the feast-day of Beaujolais Nouveau is less widely observed and the pandemic this year will further restrict its celebration. It is a pity, for the glorious weather this year in France has produced an excellent wine. However it will be about and, plague permitting, I hope to enjoy it at El Puerto in Penarth. They will be showing the wine from Louis Latour, one for the most reliable houses in Burgundy.
Wherever you are, I hope that you will be able to brighten up the darkness of Covid with a glass or two of Beaujolais Nouveau!
Author: Christopher Fielden
Christopher Fielding has written his memoirs about his life in the wine trade – all proceeds go to the NHS in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The book is available for £10 from our store on Penarth Rd, Cardiff, or can be delivered with a wine order.
