Why is Beaujolais Nouveau wine so popular?

Question

I live in Japan, and in mid-November every year people here get very excited about the arrival of the year's beaujolais. You see it in every place that sells or serves alcohol. Now, I know next to nothing about wine, but I thought that 'old' wine is supposed to taste far better than 'new' wine. I thought that wine gets better with age, so why is this 'noveau' wine so popular?

Answer 1

Maybe because of its light and fruity taste, which suits the Japanese palate. And also because it is trendy, something that excites their palates even more.

The thing that puzzles me, however, is the cost of the new Japanese nouveau wines. I thought the French Nouveaus were expensive in Japan because of the priority air delivery. Which is why so many nice gifts were being attached to them (designer drinking glasses at 7-11 etc.)

I saw a news story about the launch of Japanese Nouveau wine, so was curious about it and checked it out. Even more expensive than the imported French wine!

I suppose Nouveau wine in Japan is not only so popular because of its taste, but the trend comes from the days when only snobs and the elite could afford it. I don't know how long you have lived there, but when I first came, over 20 years ago, it was very hard to find wine and if you did, it was ridiculously expensive. Now you can get good quality cheap wine everywhere. Bet you that if Beaujolais wines were cheaper than now, they would drop in popularity ... there is some kind of mystique attached to them and lets everybody be a snob in November.

I am a wine lover and I quite like the Nouveaus(x), but I do prefer a good red Bordeaux or Chianti which I can get for half the price.

(P.S. Sorry to go on, but I did think at one time that the young, fresh wines had fewer chemicals in them to preserve them. Or even none at all, as they are meant to be drunk quite quickly and so wouldn't need preservatives etc. That got me excited about them, but I was wrong. Thet still have those nasty sulfates and things.)

Answer 2

Not all wine gets better with age. Some wines do not have the tannins to support the Cellaring of the wine. Tannins are the component in red wines that give it the dry mouth puckering feeling, A Nouveau lacks the tannins and therefore you get a light fruity red that doesn't pucker your mouth. Incidentally perfect for turkey, duck and other traditional autumn meals. There is a lot of hype and tradition in the appearance of the Beaujolais Nouveau but it is based in the taste profile of the wine. As with any wine it is purely a matter of individual taste, whether it is better or not.

Answer 3

It's an annual tradition in the Beujolais region of France. The Nouveau is harvested each year and when that happens, they bottle the prior year's harvest. They drink that prior year's harvest as the celebration. The celebration has gotten so big, it has spread around the world.



You are right that some red wine gets better with age, but not really this type of wine.

Answer 4

My local pub always has a Beaujolais Day every year which is a great night out, snails and frog legs and lots of alcohol. Have to admit I don't generally drink Beaujolais though, I stick to the beer!

Answer 5

Darth said most of it for me. I love and almost only drink Cape red wines or wines from the Cote du Rhone,Fitou. Rousillon area of France (these wines having similar weather are similar to the Cape. I find sweet wines to be quite disgusting.(though I don't like anything sweet). I never drink white wine,much to the disgust of the Maitre D when I order red with fish. In my opinion one of the best red quafable reasonably priced (in UK) wines is Fairview Pinotage. This wine got an award at a worldwide competition beating some of the top French wines in 2004ish. I have spent lots of time at the farm and was one of the first visitors when opened to the public donkeys years ago. This was before they started making goats cheese. Goats do roam is one of their cheapr but good wines.

Answer 6

It's a clever hyped up gimmick designed to drag so called wine buffs to taste a second rate wine, it's a wine that is never going to make the grade so it's sold off. It can be bought in France all the year round and is known there as table wine. It's just a cheap plonk, taste it and you will know.

Answer 7

to put it simply...marketing....there are some wines that are meant to be consumed right away. Others are meant to be put up and will continue to develop flavor and complexity 10, 15, and 20 years after they are produced. Drink beaujolais now with your turkey left overs...because in December for Chistmas it will be past its prime.

Answer 8

The popularity is certainly about marketing. But it's also seen as a nice way to celebrate the end of Harvest -- since this wine (Gamay) isn't all that good for aging, it's best to drink it young and fruity, so it's good for this purpose.

Answer 9

I would like to have a glass of wine right now

Answer 10

Its something to do with its potential to be a good old wine I think. Beats me coz I wouldnt pay the stupid prices for the old stuff...£2.99 from Tesco is my limit ...;

Answer 11

Marketing hype

Answer 12

Coz of the name?

It is a mouthful innit?

Answer 13

Gawd only knows, its bloody horrible!!

Answer 14

I don't know I think its horrid. absolute pants. give me a nice claret.

Answer 15

cause it's yummy silly ;-)

Answer 16

dunno, it's horrible