2008 BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU IN BC LIQUOR STORES

VANCOUVER - The annual arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau wine from France takes place Thursday, Nov. 20, at BC Liquor Stores across the province.
 

Beaujolais Nouveau is a light, fruity, dry red wine that is bottled directly after fermentation without aging. It is only available for a few weeks each year and should be enjoyed within a few months after purchase.
 

Most BC Liquor Stores will be carrying two labels this year: Duboeuf - Beaujolais Nouveau 2008, $13.99 and Beaujolais Villages Nouveau - Mommessin 2008 - $14.99. A total of just over 1,000 cases will be shipped to B.C.
 

The 2008 vintage will be available for purchase when participating stores open on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008.
 

Visit www.bcliquorstores.com or check with your local liquor store for more information on product availability and hours of operation. Limited quantities are available in each participating store.
 

2008 BEAUJOLAIS

• Beaujolais [BOE-zjoh-lay] Nouveau is always released the third Thursday of November, regardless of the start of the harvest.
   
• The region of Beaujolais is 34 miles long from north to south and seven to nine miles wide.
• There are nearly 4,000 grape growers who make their living in this picturesque region just north of France’s third largest city, Lyon.
   
• All the grapes in the Beaujolais region must be picked by hand. These are the only vineyards, along with Champagne, where hand harvesting is mandatory.
   
• Gamay (Gamay noir à Jus Blanc) is the only grape permitted for Beaujolais. While certain California wineries may label their wine "Gamay Beaujolais," this is not the same grape variety that is grown in France, and is quite different in taste and growing habits.
• Beaujolais Nouveau owes its easy drinkability to a winemaking process called carbonic maceration – also called whole berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.
   
• Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk young – in average vintages it should be consumed by the following May after its release.
   
• Serve Beaujolais Nouveau slightly cool, at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius).
• Approximately one-third of the entire crop of the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau.
   
• Most BC Liquor Stores will be carrying two labels this year: Duboeuf - Beaujolais Nouveau 2008, $13.99 (+950022) and Beaujolais Villages Nouveau - Mommessin 2008 - $14.99 (+959171). A total of just over 1,000 cases will be shipped to BC.
   
• Visit www.bcliquorstores.com or check with your local liquor store for more information on product availability and hours of operation. Limited quantities are available in each participating store.
   

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