It’s the end of this year’s harvest in the Northern Hemisphere, and winemakers are (hopefully) relaxing after all those long hours in the winery. Celebrating is undoubtedly well deserved!
Winemakers and wine enthusiasts can cheer the new vintage with this lovely holiday dating back to the 1800s.
Beaujolais Nouveau History
Beaujolais Nouveau started as a French tradition and is celebrated globally on the third Thursday in November. It’s a cherished ritual that marks the end of harvest and celebrates the first wine of a new vintage. In years past, parades, festivals, and fireworks filled the night to toast the farmers who made the wine.
At InnoVint, we wanted to share some traditions and recipes to inspire your holiday celebrations.
Pairings and Traditions from the team at InnoVint
Beaujolais Nouveau pairing presents an interesting challenge with its bright, fruity flavors and fresh acidity. While many opt to enjoy the wine with a Thanksgiving turkey, a few team members at InnoVint have lovely traditions and recipes to pair.
Karissa likes any reason to celebrate and had this to share with me:
“If I’m picking up a few bottles after work. I’ll usually prepare something simple for dinner that night – sauteéd swiss chard and mushrooms over quick pressure-cooker polenta comes together in under 30 minutes. I might even get a little crazy and top it with a poached egg! So that, with a glass (or three) of Beaujolais Nouveau paired with Netflix shows, sounds like a perfect Thursday evening.”
“November is an interesting time for a wine release – right after harvest, the weather turning chilly, folks wanting to celebrate wrapping up the vintage before winter sets in. A warming slow-cooked pork with rich, fruity flavors of prunes fits the season without being the heavy fussy dishes of winter. Plus, the fruitiness of Beaujolais in general works well with the fruitiness of the prunes/plums, Nouveau is even more obviously fruit-forward than typical Gamay.”
Or alternately, try Lindsay’s scrumptious pairing suggestions:
Sautée Chanterelle mushrooms, and shaved Brussel Sprouts together, then deglaze with some Beaujolais Nouveau. Once fully cooked, add in roasted Red Onion, fresh crispy chopped bacon, and top with Pecorino! Serve in a bowl for a warm and cozy meal!
Another option is this tasty woodfired pizza with prosciutto, red onion, shiitake mushrooms, ricotta, evoo, and flaky sea salt (pictured below)
Many others on the team celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau as a Thanksgiving or Christmas tradition by preparing special meals. In particular, a top-secret turkey and sausage gumbo pairing that sounds divine piqued this writer’s curiosity. Alas, maybe next year, the reticent chef will reveal his secrets, but until then, here is a promising Turkey Gumbo recipe to make use of all your Thanksgiving leftovers.
In a year of chaos, let’s take some time to savor the special moments, drink wine, and be merry.
