Beaujolais nouveau is a red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France. It is the most popular 'vin de primeur', fermented for just a few weeks, then officially released for sale on the third Thursday of November, or "Beaujolais Day."

This fruity, purple-pink wine is particularly lightweight and contains very little tannin. Served lightly chilled, Beaujolais Nouveau is intended for immediate drinking, and in general should not be kept for more than a year.

By law, all grapes in the region must be harvested by hand. Around 49 million liters of Beaujolais Nouveau are produced each year, making up nearly half of the region's total wine production. Half of this is exported, with Germany and Japan being Beaujolais' biggest markets, followed by the USA.

For more information on Beaujolais Nouveau, visit the wine tutorial at the website of our wine sponsor, Campus Fine Wines.