*** I received this wine as a sample. ***

The third Thursday of November is one of those days that wine lovers either embrace or they mock.  It is a day that shows the true power of marketing, something even those who are giddy with the excitement at its arrival will acknowledge.  It’s Beaujolais Day!

For those who are unfamiliar with Beaujolais Day, it’s the day when the current vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau is released.  Beaujolais Nouveau is a French wine made from Gamay grapes in the Beaujolais region.  The wine is shipped and ready to drink 6-8 weeks after harvest, so its a wine that hasn’t had any time to mature and should be purchased and consumed quickly.  The Beaujolais Nouveau release is supposed to give an indication for how the Beaujolais vintages from that year will fair.

I’m an unabashed Beaujolais Nouveau lover…or at least I love the concept of Beaujolais Day, even if I don’t always love the wines.  I’ve reviewed past vintages and openly acknowledge I’m a victim of fabulous marketing.  And, I don’t care.  For me, Beaujolais Day, not Thanksgiving, is the true start for the holiday season.  I mean, what better way to ring in the holiday season with the year’s first wine!

This year, I missed Beaujolais Day itself because I had dinner plans with a very good friend.  Plus, my bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau didn’t arrive on time.  By Friday, though, my bottle of Georges DuBoeuf was waiting for me and I had a whole evening to enjoy it.

The 2011 Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (winery) was a deep, bright purple with hints of ruby.  On the nose, there were candied strawberries and sour cherries.  In the mouth there were sour cherries, Strawberry Bubble Yum, and a touch of something minty.  The wine had low tannins, a light body, and a surprising touch of acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At a suggested retail price of $10, this wine was just not cutting it for me this year.  I enjoyed the anticipation of its release, the festive feeling it inspired, but didn’t really enjoy the wine itself.  The minty finish was just too much for me.  That said, not loving this year’s vintage won’t stop me from being excited about Beaujolais Day 2012.  Plus, I’m still hopeful about what the 2011 Beaujolais will taste like, since I think the juice showed a lot of potential.

Question of the Day: Are you a Beaujolais Day lover or hater?

Suggested Retail Price: $10
Received as a sample.
Overall: 2.5 Corks