Good Beaujolais is not 'nouveau'

Throughout the world today, revelers will be glugging down a concoction called Nouveau Beaujolais. Bully for them -- as long as they don't call, or consider, it "real" wine.

Granted, Nouveau is fermented grape juice, but the process of producing this beverage makes it taste a lot like candy and/or banana. Which would be fine if there weren't legitimate wines, and quite good ones, with Beaujolais on the label.

"The Nouveau people have worked very hard for many years on marketing, and that name has become synonymous with Beaujolais," said Ryan Huseby, beverage director at W.A. Frost & Co. restaurant in St. Paul. "So Beaujolais is identified with that kind of bubble-gummy fruit juice. The other Beaujolais doesn't seem to be taken seriously."

Actually, the "other Beaujolais" is not intended to be taken too seriously. It's a light, sometimes almost delicate red with fresh berry and cherry flavors and vibrant acidity. In "Sideways" parlance, it's quite quaffable but not transcendent.

Ironically, these wines actually taste fresher than the Nouveau wines made with grapes that were in the ground less than 3 months ago. What Nouveau and "older" Beaujolais have in common is that they are meant to be enjoyed and not studied.

French food writer Jacques Pepin has called Beaujolais his favorite wine because he could savor it without having to think or talk much about it. Not to mention that it's food-friendly.

"It goes well with certain preparations of salmon," Huseby said. "It's also really good for lighter dishes that you might do a white wine with but someone wants a little more body or doesn't drink white wines."

That's why, as Huseby notes, "If someone's looking for a relatively inexpensive pinot noir, Beaujolais is a good substitute."

That's particularly true for the 2009 vintage, perhaps Beaujolais' best ever in terms of quality and consistency. Growing conditions were ideal, and vintners produced beautifully balanced wine, with the acidity integrated perfectly rather than dominating.

That vintage makes a great introduction in both the less expensive Villages bottlings ($10-$25) and the spendier Cru wines ($18-$35). Labels on the latter will bear the appellation's name; the better ones reaching these shores include Brouilly and Fleurie (generally floral and round), Morgon (firm and focused) and Moulin-à-Vent (earthy and full-bodied).

Those who wish to see what Beaujolais really has to offer can head to W.A. Frost at 6 p.m. Thursday ($35, reservations required; call 651-224-5715) for "Anti-Nouveau Beaujolais Tasting." This being the third Thursday in November, many other gatherings around the Twin Cities will find merrymakers celebrating the release of the 2011 Nouveau Beaujolais.

Good times will be had by all. And hey, I'm for anything that brings more people to wine. The problem, is, many folks who "moved on" since their vinous introduction with Nouveau probably skipped the next logical stage: the "real" Beaujolais.