It’s the first fruit of the season, a fresh, just-bottled wine made for drinking now instead of storing in the wine rack.
In France, the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau were cracked open today — by French law, it’s always the third Thursday of November, never before. Importers thoughtfully ship bottles early so that Bay Area Francophiles may celebrate the fruity wine at the same time.
Here’s where to toast the new vintage:
At the Left Bank brasseries in San Jose, Menlo Park, Oakland and Larkspur, you can enjoy the new vintage by the glass or bottle or paired with specialty menu items such as Coq au Beaujolais, Quenelle Mere Brazier (salmon and scallop mousse, brandy lobster bisque) and a Beaujolais-poached bosc per, available at lunch and dinner today through Sunday. Wine sampling at 4 p.m. today. Live music at most locations.
At Rêve Bistro in Lafayette, you can sip the new wine (they’re serving La Sœur Cadette) and pair it with a prix fixe meal of French onion soup, braised pork shoulder and a Beaujolais-poached pear tart tonight, Friday and Saturday. Co-owner Laura Magu said they’re also highlighting other wines made with the Gamay grape, including the Beaujolais-Villages ’21 (organic) from noted Beaujolais producer Alex Foillard and L’Alchimiste Fleurie ’20 from a rising star female winemaker, Anne-Sophie Dubois.