Beaujolais Day Celebrated in Providence

To the delight of oenophiles around the world, today marks the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau, the red wine made from Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grapes grown in the Beaujolais appellation d'origine controlee of France, just north of Lyons. As French law dictates, all grapes in the region must be harvested by hand because of the wine’s whole berry fermentation production. The vine to wine process, in total, averages just 6-8 weeks, and approximately 13 million gallons are produced, half of which are exported. French law also demands Beaujolais Nouveau is to be released no earlier than the third Thursday of November, so, at one minute past midnight today, corks of Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 were popped and the wine poured in what has become known as “Beaujolais Day.”

 Traditional "Grudge Match"

A Providence tradition since 1989, chefs and supporters from French fine dining restaurant Pot Au Feu raced festooned wheelbarrows replete with a pair of George Duboeuf’s 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau bottles against the team from the Providence Biltmore, for a sprint along South Water Street overlooking the Blackstone River. The

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Biltmore snagged the trophy and as is custom, enjoyed the first sip of the wine and took home the prize winning case. Pot Au Feu owner Bob Burke, donning a dapper beret, said the 2010 Beaujolais is, in his opinion, the best Beaujolais vintage of the century, but was careful not to go overboard. “This is a wine you want to date, not marry,” he laughed. Burke said he popped the cork of the first bottle at 12:00:01, ripe with anticipation, and enjoyed tasting seven different Beaujolais with patrons. To toast the 2010 debut, Pot Au Feu is offering a complementary glass of George Duboeuf’s 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau today with any lunch or dinner entrée (Duboeuf’s Beaujolais is always noted for its distinctive colorful label).

French American School Toasts The Occasion

Louise Jakobson, director of development at the French American School of Rhode Island, called “Beaujolais Day” a significant event for the school and its community. “It’s one of the ways we spread the word about the wine and wine culture, which of course, is a very French thing to do!” Tomorrow evening, the school hosts their annual Beaujolais Festival, A Night in Casablanca, at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston. “We chose Morocco to change things around a little bit,” said Jakobson. “It’s a French speaking country, and an opportunity to show that French is spoken all around the world.”

A Night in Casablanca, which will feature Beaujolais Nouveau among the more than 100 wines at the celebration, takes place Friday, November 19, from  7-10pm at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston. Tickets are $75, visit www.beaufestri.com  or call 274-3325 to reserve.

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