We are really in it now! It is late November and, as is customary, the Nouveau Beaujolais has arrived. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention these past 30 years or so, the “new” Beaujolais is the first wine from the current year’s harvest in the Northern Hemisphere to come to market. In bygone days there were waiters’ races in Paris and big events all over the world as the wine was made available for sale simultaneously.
As consumers have become more sophisticated, they have come to realize that Nouveau Beaujolais is a very simple, uncomplicated wine that is only interesting because it IS the first wine of the vintage. Additionally, they have discovered that the wine is probably at its peak drinkability between now and Christmas. Personally, as an unabashed lover of traditional Beaujolais, I find many consumers have begun to shy away from the “real” stuff because they have been underwhelmed by Nouveau. This is a mixed blessing. Those consumers don’t know what they are missing….and those of us who love Beaujolais find it to be a continuing bargain because of it.
For those of you who have not yet made up your mind as to what you will be drinking on Thanksgiving, of course we’d love to see you at 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits in downtown Minneapolis so we can offer our advice. If you want to make up your own mind, not only do we have a huge selection from which to choose, but there will be a special Wednesday afternoon tasting this week with Mitch Zavada for the procrastinators. Personally, but for the breast of the turkey, I think Thanksgiving is a “red wine holiday”…but that’s just me. The best advice is the wine you like with the food you like.
Let us remind you once again that Annette Peters will be conducting a Champagne Tasting & Seminar at the Aloft Hotel on December 4th. That is the week after Thanksgiving and the perfect time to start thinking about your choice of sparkling wine to toast both Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Annette is one of the most articulate and informative people in the wine industry in Minnesota. We count ourselves fortunate that she is willing to do more than one event a year for us. Ask the folks who have been to one of Annette’s tastings, and you will want to be there! Call the store at (612) 339-4040 or drop us an email at info@1010wws.com to reserve your place at the tasting.
To each and every one of you, from everyone at 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits, have a wonderful Holiday Season. Thank you for your business. Thank you for your advice and friendship. Thank you for reading this.