Yo, this year's batch of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau was uncorked just after midnight, and it's got a bangin' new label that's sure to resonate with the wine's urban demographic! By French law, Beaujolais Nouveau—a young red wine made from the Gamay grape and bottled at the end of harvest—may not be released before the third Thursday in November. So the company does a big publicity stunt every year, uncorking the first bottle at the stroke of midnight, and designing a different label. This time they hired Brooklyn graffiti artist Kaves to do the honors.
Franck Duboeuf, son of founder Georges, opened the first bottle at a party in Manhattan (we did not attend) and proclaimed "2011 will be a great millésime in Beaujolais—complex, serious, solid and rich in delicious flavors". The first Nouveau vintage was released in 1951, making this the 60th anniversary edition. Some facts to enthrall your date you're plying her with wine: Beaujolais Nouveau was originally the wine of the vineyard workers, consumed to celebrate the end of harvest and giving them a first taste of the new vintage. By law, Beaujolais grapes must be harvested by hand and grown on individual, free standing vines in the region of Burgundy. And wine snobs say it's best served slightly cool, at about 55°F.
Another fun fact? Bob Dylan recorded his acclaimed album Another Side Of Bob Dylan in one night in 1964 over a bottle of Beaujolais. So uncork a bottle and get ready to compose a folk rock masterpiece! It retails for about $10 each, and the company sent us a few to try. In fact, we're drinking it now, which is why critics are already hailing this blog post as our Blood on the Tracks.
