Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Beaujolais Nouveau



One of the great marketing coups in the world was continued this morning when at 12:01 Paris time as the 2008 vintage Beaujolais, the first wine from the new harvest, was released to an undeserving public. In the days of the Concorde trendy New York restaurants would have it available for luncheon. Now it may take until dinner, and certainly by Saturday it will be in your local grocery store.
If you have trendy or sophisticated friends you may be invited to a Beaujolais Nouveau party this weekend. I beg you to reconsider going, or at least to take proper precautions.
I think the British say it best. This is plonk. Before you take that first sip remember that these grapes were on the vine in September. Many of the less fastidious amongst us will quietly admit to having grape juice in the fridge older than this wine. Our more experienced readers will recall that Boone's Farm aged longer, since it was aged in transit, typically by truck from far away.
If you must go, I suggest the following. Ladies bring a large purse carrying a bottle of good stuff. You'll thank yourself in the morning, as this has an aftertaste which is not readily dissolved. Gentlemen, this would be a great opportunity to bring a flask.
You have been warned, and well advised.
Toad

8 comments:

Renovation Therapy said...

Oh, but the bottle is so pretty! LOL

I have to admit that I've been enjoying Trader Joe's Shiraz and at $3 a bottle...it makes me a cheap drunk.

Giuseppe said...

I worked in fine wine shops for years. Believe me, the amount of hubbub created over this stuff was incredible.

I'd have regular customer who would come in every weekend to put together a case of wine. We'd discuss each decision, what to eat with it etc., and tey'd leave with a box full of really nice stuff.

On the third Thursday of November, these same people would line up to buy cases of the Nouveau, so as not to run out by Christmas. Funny thing was, so many of them would trash it's quality and silliness as they stood in line to purchase an entire box of the stuff.

Go figure.

In my current state of being unemployed in a screwed economy, my tipples of choice have been Dragani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, $4.99 a bottle, and Narragansett beer, $5 for a six pack of tall cans. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

D'accord, but it goes down like water.

Teacats said...

Would the "good stuff" include single malt whiskey, a Manhattan or perhaps brandy?

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Toad said...

I prefer a single malt Irish myself

Capegirl said...

Oh for the days of Boone's Farm-on the dock. Can't believe that we survived.

northsidefour said...

What I found in my inbox yesterday: The Beaujolais Nouveau Has Arrived. As predicted!

Toad said...

Really cold the Boones Farm was pretty good, at the time