Beaujolias Nouveau fever is about to break out the world over, although received with much yawn from our local press and pundits (too sophisticated I presume) this phenomenon still holds sway in diverse cultures around the world. From Japan, to Europe, India and of course the US sommeliers, cavistes and consumers await the new wine, eager to take part in the celebration of the newest  harvest, to take pleasure in the somewhat symbolic  act of sharing wine with friends and complete strangers from around the globe.

Long before fast airplanes and trains the local cafés and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons would offer the young wine straight out of barrels (they still do), nothing fancy but with enough fanfare and reverence to inspire other cities in France to take on the tradition. Nowadays, it is hard to separate the logistical and marketing feat that Beaujolais Nouveau is from its true meaning, but every so often one needs to set aside cynicism and let be seduced by the simple pleasures of life.

I’m planning on doing just that this coming Thursday, hope you can join.

Cyril