The third Thursday of November (November 21 this year) marks Beaujolais Nouveau Day, when France’s most famous vin de primeur (a wine that may be sold the same year it is made) is released upon the world, fresh from the harvest. As former Stranger writer Tobias Coughlin-Bogue wrote following Trump’s election in 2016, “Amid the sodden misery of November in Seattle, there is always one bright spot: Beaujolais Nouveau Day…Why do you give a shit about some obscure French wine? Well, because Beaujolais nouveau is such a magical, overabundantly fruity wine that it can help you forget that you live in the end times. Yes, the storm drains look like they’re on the verge of an actual apocalyptic flood, the sun is blocked out by your work schedule, and an unhinged megalomaniac is about to seize power, but there you are, sipping a bright, buoyant glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, nibbling on something delicious, and perhaps even closing your eyes for a moment to imagine that you’ve expatriated and are enjoying all this lovely food and wine in some cozy cafe in Lyon. Au revoir, President Trump.” Below, we’ve compiled a few places in Portland that will fête the occasion by pouring their own Beaujolais Nouveau offerings and other similar wines.
Nouveau Fete 2024
Division Wine Making Company has an annual tradition of releasing their “Nouveau Nouveau” wine, a “fresh, fruity, and quaffable” Gamay, on Beaujolais Nouveau Day each year. They emphasize that the soirée is all about “enjoyment of the moment,” so indulge your inner hedonist by savoring cheese plate trios from La Femme Fromage and oysters from Pop Oysters PDX and sampling wines from Division, GC, The Marigny/Reginald Parish, Love & Squalor, and New Wave Wine Co.
Division Wines, Richmond, 5:30-8:30 pm
