The Cork Heard Around the World

The sound of a cork popping off a bottle of winejuice: it's light, fruit filled, and extremely easy to
is a welcoming sound; the subtle popping noise isdrink. Since these types of wine are produced by
enough to turn wine lovers into Pavlov's dog,whole berry fermentation, they contain very little,
drooling uncontrollably. As welcoming a sound thisif any, tannin. This leaves the wine with a less
may be, it can often only be heard by thoseacidic taste than many red wines. You can call
within an earshot. This is unless you are uncorkingBeaujolais nouveau immature, but you can not call
a Beaujolais nouveau. When this bottle is opened,it bitter.
it is the cork heard around the world.Breaking the general rule of red wine, younger
The Beaujolais nouveau is a French wine thatBeaujolais nouveau is best served chilled. This is
comes out but once a year, making it somethingbecause the coldness allows the inane fruity
that wine drinkers look forward to on an annualflavors to become more obvious and the ice
basis. Shoppers have the annual sale at Macy's,allows the drink to become more refreshing.
football fans have the Super bowl, hypochondriacsBeaujolais nouveau that is fuller, however, is best
have their yearly physical, and wine lovers haveserved at room temperature.
the third Thursday in November. On this day,The Gamay noir a Jus Blanc grape has the distinct
Beaujolais nouveau is released into the open armshonor of being the envy of the vineyard, the only
and open mouths of connoisseurs.grape allowed to be used in making Beaujolais
At 12:01 on November's third Thursday, Beaujolaisnouveau. These grapes are chosen and picked by
nouveau is sent all around the world. As mandatedhand, making Beaujolais Nouveau a wine that is
by French law, it cannot be released a secondabout as homemade as they come.
sooner: bottles that come out too soon may findApproximately 50 million bottles of Beaujolais
themselves being opened not with a corkscrewNouveau are produced a year. This number
but with a guillotine.makes Beaujolais nouveau the third most popular
The thing that makes Beaujolais nouveau standwine produced in the Beaujolais region of France.
out among other wines is the fact that it is aHalf of this wine is kept for the French while the
wine immediately sold after fermentation.other half is sent all across the world. The wine
Following pasteurization, Beaujolais nouveau iskept in France is usually used as a celebration of
made in a way that foregoes malolacticthe season's end; as winemakers who have
fermentation, a process in winemaking where tartlabored hardily for months and months are
acid is converted into softer acid. This allows theallowed to lift up a glass and put up their feet,
grapes to be harvested and drank a short sixenjoying the moment of work well done. The
weeks later.wine that is exported is used for a variety of
While most wines are made to age, sitting indifferent things. In America, Beaujolais nouveau is
cellars for years or decades at a time, tappingcommonly served at Thanksgiving, giving wine
their fingers and glancing at their watch, Beaujolaislovers something for which they can truly be
nouveau must be consumed within a few months.thankful.
A wine not known for its patience, BeaujolaisBeaujolais nouveau is an annual treat. Coming out
nouveau is ready to go as soon as it's made: justonly once a year, if it sees your shadow -
add taste buds.approaching it in a liquor store - there is sure to
Many wine experts agree that Beaujolais nouveaube at least six weeks of enjoyment left. It is an
has an immature taste to it, like a wine that soursexperience worth drinking up, particularly during
when it doesn't get its way. This immaturity givesthe holidays.
the Beaujolais nouveau a taste similar to grape