Questions Uncorked

Feb 11, 2009

Hi Wendy,
Thank you so much for stopping by the blog with your question. That was very nice of your daughter!
The bottle she brought you is made from the Gamay grape and from the Beaujolais region of France. If you click on this link here, you will find an essay I have written about Beaujolais and the different wines of the region. In a nutshell though, there are several different categories of Beaujolais, one of which is Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Nouveau is the wine of the new harvest. It is released onto the market on the third Thursday of November each year to much fanfare and celebration. You’ll see signs in Paris bars (and elsewhere around the world) announcing “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” Beaujolais Nouveau is fresh, grapey, fruity and low in tannins and it is meant to be drunk usually between 3 to 6 months after release.
The bottle your daughter brought you is made by Marie-Claire and Christophe Braymand. Their domain is called Domaine de La Mantellière and it appears to have been in the family for several generations. While they don’t have a website, I was able to locate an email address for them, should you wish to contact them. It is domainemantelliere@yahoo.fr

I suggest that you open and drink the bottle you have sooner rather than later, as Beaujolais Nouveau is best enjoyed while it is still youthful and fresh. I would also recommend that you chill it slightly before drinking it. You can enjoy the wine with a variety of food such as chicken, quiche or ham. Cheers!