The time I thought I was drinking Beaujolais, but it wasn't Nouveau [The truth on the 3rd day of the release]
November 20th, Beaujolais Nouveau release day.
Looking at the three bottles of wine that arrived, I felt that festive mood again this year.
I don't usually drink on Thursdays, but Beaujolais day is special.
My husband and I were looking forward to our annual 'release day drink'.
This year, we skipped the Costco 6-pack and pre-ordered from a favorite shop on Rakuten.
What arrived was a 3-bottle set of 'Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir'.
'Wait, are there different grape varieties for Beaujolais?'
I was surprised, but decided to open the Cabernet Sauvignon first.
…It was too delicious.
'Is this Beaujolais Nouveau? This year's might be a huge hit!'
My husband and I drank it all in one go.
The next day was the Pinot Noir. This was also delicious.
'Was Beaujolais always this good?' I was impressed.
But, on the morning of the third day.
When I went to clear away the empty bottles, the text '2023' suddenly caught my eye.
'Wait, it's 2025, right?'
Feeling uneasy, I asked an AI.
'Beaujolais Nouveau 2023 means it was made from grapes harvested in 2023.'
Wait, so the ones we drank weren't Beaujolais Nouveau?
I panicked and checked the remaining bottle, and there it was: the text '2025'.
Looking back at the paper I read on the first day, it said 'Beaujolais Nouveau & French Gold Medal Red 3-Bottle Set'.
In other words, there was only one bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.
We had been toasting with non-Nouveau wine for two days since the release…😱
I'm such an idiot.
But I'm glad I had the AI. Lol
Since I was at it, I asked more questions to deepen my knowledge of Beaujolais.
'Beaujolais Nouveau is a new wine made from 100% Gamay grapes. There is no such thing as Cabernet or Pinot Noir Nouveau.'
I see.
So the first two bottles were 'just really delicious red wine'.
I asked further.
'The difference in taste based on price is due to grape quality and brewing effort. High-quality Gamay has depth within its lightness.'
That makes sense.
So that's why the cheap Beaujolais I bought at the supermarket wasn't great.
And on the night of the third day, I finally opened the real Beaujolais Nouveau.
'Ah, this is it!' I remembered the taste I used to drink every year at Costco.
But this year's felt better than last year's. Maybe it was a year that suited my taste.
Conclusion: I will pre-order from this shop again next year.
※PR (Still on sale)
I get tired of 6-bottle sets, and since I started working from home, I don't have anyone to share them with.
But I feel like I finally found the perfect Beaujolais for my home.
I think I'll welcome the Beaujolais Nouveau release day next year while remembering this silly episode.
