Has nouveau lost its novelty?
A fun tradition from the sixties is losing its attraction

At one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of each November over one million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news ‘Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive!’ One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun.

Caterers traditionally await the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau as a means to making a few extra bob at the flat, pre Christmas time of the year. Many premises run a special ‘nouveau’ event as close to the release date as possible, normally be on a fixed price, unlimited wine basis. Back in my time in London, customers were often encouraged to dress up in what we considerer to be traditional French attire.

But even in Cyprus of 2005 enthusiasm seems to be waning. The bubble hasn’t exactly burst, but it does seem to have developed a slow puncture. Most wine merchants, wisely, are actually not stocking nouveau and many that have are doing so under duress. They seem to be getting it in for restaurants and hotels and hardly bother with retail. Establishments actually pre-order a Gamay Nouveau from well reputed houses. The main reason behind the reluctance of ordering extra stock is that fewer people know Beaujolais Nouveau, hence less interest; it does not last long – it is actually drinkable for up to six months - and merchants have to pay extra publicity for it.

Where has it all gone wrong? Why has this simple, happy, tradition developed in the sixties soured in the new millennium? I believe the short answer is sometimes overpricing and in the case of Cyprus it is done more as a gala event and not in a true party atmosphere. A chilled glass of fresh purplish, fruity nouveau used to be a great fun in the eighties at £5 a bottle, but is a far more sobering experience at twice the price. The whole image of nouveau, which was never meant to be “serious” wine, is ruined. It was meant to be a fun wine, and it can’t be at unfunny prices! From a catering point of view, paying over the odds for the wine destroys the mathematics of fixed price nouveau evenings.

On November 26 a Beaujolais Nouveau Dinner was held at the luxurious Elysium Hotel in Paphos, organised by the hotel and La Maison du Vin. The evening was enjoyable by all present but I put a challenge to La Maison du Vin and all merchants to organise party like, fun events rather than gala dinners. Such events should be saved for more “serious” wines. I believe that wine connoisseurs can enjoy a night out not thinking much about what they drink for once, but rather, how to enjoy it in a leisurely environment. However, Albert Bichot’s nouveau was a fruity inky red with wild strawberries and red cherries on the nose and the palate was surprisingly balanced with more wild strawberries and dark cherries and no tannins, as it should be. And remember that the fun fayre Beaujolais Nouveau is as close to white wine as red wine can get.


Wine of the week
2003 Ktima Driopi, Domaine Tselepos, Aghiorghitiko, Nemea, Peloponnese, Greece Alcohol Volume 13.5%

This is the new venture by Cypriot Dijon graduate winemaker of Peloponnese Yiannis Tselepos. A brilliant red Aghiorghitiko varietal with ruby tints, this is a great one for Christmas. Herbal menthol aromas, fruit peaks – ripe cherry and plum - out beneath tannins of oak, full-bodied with an oak philosophy that guarantees the safe delivery of fruit and the mild, natural tannins, characteristic of the local terroir. This is a lush and well grafted red displaying the spicy, Burgundian side of Aghiorghitiko to its best advantage. Keep for a couple more years and serve at 18?C with dishes like poached chicken with tomato and olive sauce, roast meat especially pork.