The Vixen wrote:$8.99 Georges Duboeuf at Rouse's. I like it this year.
Rats! I saw it today and didn't buy it.
If today was any indication of how crowded Rouse's will be the next few days, I hope I don't have to go back! I thought the rain would keep folks home but that clearly wasn't the case.
Posted: November 18, 2009 In brief: Issue #5: Anything But Beaujolais Nouveau
What the hell is Beaujolais Nouveau anyway? What is behind that psychedelic Georges Duboeuf label that crowds the shelves of every liquor store and supermarket come the second half of November? Well, let me tell you. Beaujolais Nouveau is sourced from young vines and vinified via carbonic maceration (i.e. the grapes are fermented whole so as not to adopt tannins from the skins), and is placed on the market only a few short months after harvest. It’s essentially Kool-Aid for grown ups. And it gives us indigestion. And, in the (heavily paraphrased) words of a wise old chef, it only deserves to exist if decanted into a granita. Not a bad idea, actually. We’re all a little guilty of showing greater compassion for terrible drinks so long as they arrive in frozen form (see: strawberry daiquiris, Slush Puppies, etc.).
All fun-poking aside though, the real tragedy in this catastrophe of a wine is that it falsely represents the region. Most drinkers are totally unaware of the 10 Cru sites in Beaujolais, each responsible for its own unique, terroir-driven expression of the Gamay grape. These wines are a far cry from Nouveau; they range in style from nuanced to concentrated depending on their source, and are often structured enough to even cellar for a few years. For us chaps, these wines represent some of the finest values to be had on the market. So in an effort to destroy the market for BN as well as improve your Thanksgiving, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite bird-friendly Cru Beaujolais.
The best wine (or best anything else) is the wine you like. Just because someone has not yet had the opportunity to experience a wider variety of wines shouldn't be held against them. Good is subjective. Period. Tragedy? The real tragedy is choosing to look down your nose at someone instead of feeling inspired to help them find something new to appreciate.
"I find the pastrami to be the most sensual of all the salted cured meats. Hungry?"
Low-N-Slow wrote:The best wine (or best anything else) is the wine you like. Just because someone has not yet had the opportunity to experience a wider variety of wines shouldn't be held against them. Good is subjective. Period. Tragedy? The real tragedy is choosing to look down your nose at someone instead of feeling inspired to help them find something new to appreciate.
It's a tragedy what Beauj Nouv did to the integrity of Beauj as a whole...
just like it's a tragedy what corporate america did to chablis and riesling.
it's a hole they're still digging themselves out of.
i'm not calling the wine itself a tragedy, just the effect it had/has on
consumers' association with the words themselves.
you won't find the word 'Beaujolais' on any of the Cru bottlings simply
in an effort to distance themselves from the nouveau marketplace.
as far as nouveau is concerned...i buy a bottle every year. yea me.
