Do you have your Beaujolais Nouveau ready?

Can you believe it? It is the time of year where two things happen that send our taste buds into an all-American frenzy.

First, pumpkin spice permeates everything on the planet. Nostalgia and Starbucks in one single aroma that takes our extra fun money out of play for a few months.

Second, Beaujolais nouveau is released on the third Thursday of November. It is so exciting!

Wait. What?

On the third Thursday of November since 1951, the release of Beaujolais nouveau has garnered some ample media moments and some drunken tales. Beaujolais is the region of France where this particular wine is made. The truth is, this is the only region able to produce and sell any wine with the words Beaujolais nouveau on the label. Sure there are other similar style wines, but none with this story.

What is the big deal?

Beaujolais nouveau was, originally, the wine that was used to celebrate the end of the harvest, which mean that it never left France and was consumed by the wine makers, grape pickers and laborers at the vineyard. Laws established had already determined that this wine could not be sold before December 15 of each year. What happens when you tell the public they cannot have something? They want it more.

The real genius in this wine is that it gives a boost to an old business model. You take wine within weeks of harvest, market it like it is the fountain of youth and generate incredible cash flow late in the fourth quarter for the vineyard. Even Earnest and Julio Gallo cannot bat an eye at that.

After the marketing proved successful, the date was changed to the third Thursday in November. At that point in time, the production of this everyday wine went into high gear.

In preparation for the release, the vineyards in Beaujolais had a race to see who could get the first case to Paris at midnight of the third Thursday in November. Of course we love a race and we love wine, so this was a match made in heaven. By the 1980’s, massive amounts of media attention focused on the race for Beaujolais nouveau each November. It started showing up in America and the producers were getting smart by shipping the wine early and declaring that you cannot put it on the shelf until the proper time.

It was like Black Friday for wine lovers. The stores would open at midnight and droves of people would converge to buy their Beaujolais nouveau. It became a reason to celebrate. In fact, it was marketed in America with the slogan “It’s Beaujolais Nouveau time!”

Still, what is the big deal?

Being the week before our Thanksgiving holiday, this wine has taken on an indication of the start of the holiday season for some people. As the first purchase of the holiday meals, a gift for a wine lover in the family or just a reason to have the first party, Beaujolais nouveau grew to signify various things globally. For us, it works because we are looking for the new, latest thing to take to the party around this time of year.

As a coincidence, this particular wine is a great pair with turkey, ham, sweet potato, cranberry dishes, gravy, breads and fruity desserts. Almost anything you associate with the holiday table of food is just right for Beaujolais nouveau.

The wine itself is intended to be consumed right away. Like most Beaujolais wines, which are aged for only about a year, this wine is ready to go within weeks. In fact, some wine folks recommend that you drink it prior to May of the following year, which means you have a good five months to drink your supply.

Flavors like strawberry, pear, fig or banana might hit your taste buds. Some wine critics have even compared it to eating cookie dough. These are all second to it being a delicious “porch pounder.” Meaning you can drink it on your porch all day long.

Because of the production style, there are very little tannins. You know, that little bit of tartness or dry sensation that coats your mouth in a red, grapy haze. Wine snobs have criticized the wine for this very reason, claiming that it has no character or is not produced with the romance of traditional French wine. They can get off my porch with those crazy ideas.

However, they are right in that this is not a traditional French-style wine. This wine is made for profit, not quality. Light, fruity, drink it all day profit, which is why it became so successful. The cost was low, the flavors were in the wheelhouse of the majority of people and it was ready now. If that is not America, I do not know what is.

Later in the marketing of this wine, the story has it that the release of Beaujolais nouveau was the indication as to the quality of harvest that particular vineyard had for their traditional Beaujolais wines — meaning the wines that mattered in the world of wine making were being judged or pre-qualified by the wine that was criticized so often. Story has it.

As we approach the holiday season, which we do a little bit warmer on the Grand Strand than most areas, I would highly recommend seeking out some Beaujolais nouveau for your festivities. It can become a tradition, if it is not already, and will satisfy the masses at your table. Plus, it makes tolerating the influx of family more manageable. Cheers!

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 3:18 AM with the headline "Do you have your Beaujolais Nouveau ready?."