In winespeak, the term “Nouveau” simply refers to any wine harvested and sold in the same year, but it has special significance for that very reason. As the summer heat reaches its peak, the backbreaking work of harvest begins. A relentless blur of activity from September to October is marked by 14 hour days and countless logistics. The entire year is on the line as ripening grapes play a nerve-racking game of chicken with Mother Nature. Harvest is fun, but it’s definitely not easy. The annual release of Nouveau marks a welcome celebration to the end of harvest, as well as the very first taste of the vintage. Enjoyed for their youthful fruitiness, bright flavors and unpretentious quaffability, they are the perfect match for food, friends and festivity as the holiday season nears.
History
Most commonly associated with the Beaujolais region in France, modern day Nouveau has evolved significantly from its humble origins. Literally translated “new” in French, the term “Nouveau” belies a tradition that is anything but. Well before the term “Beaujolais Nouveau” was coined in 1951, locals produced a vin de l’année to celebrate the end of harvest. Eventually, the celebration spilled into the cafés of Paris and became a more widespread ritual with the Union Interprofessionnelle des Vins du Beaujolais declaring November 15 the official release date. A more formal holiday took shape and a few decades later, the once quaint affair would evolve into an industrial-sized, worldwide promotion.
California Nouveau, however, is just writing its history. While clever marketing has found a home for Beaujolais in every corner of the world, across oceans and continents, we still believe in the local tradition. We believe in celebrating our own harvest, putting our own wine on the Thanksgiving table, supporting our own industry and sharing the fruits of our labor with local friends and businesses.
Gamay Noir
Also known as Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, this traditional red grape of the Beaujolais region is a cousin of Pinot Noir, capable of producing complex wines worthy of cellaring, as well as light-bodied Nouveau and rosé.
Once the most abundant grape in California, it has all but vanished from the landscape. In fact, it was the first wine ever made by Robert Mondavi, long before Cabernet Sauvignon reached its Holy Grail status. Ours is sourced from a few of the last remaining plantings of this historic grape in California. One, a tiny oasis in Calistoga; another in the Suisun Valley AVA just east of Napa Valley. With its bright fruit and approachability, Gamay is often regarded as the quintessential summer wine, as close to white as red gets. But for all its light-hearted charm it can also share the flavor profile and mouthfeel of Pinot Noir, trading dried cherry for ripe bing cherry, strawberry and raspberry, punctuated with a hint of spice.
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