Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

Our favorite days of the year are (in order) New Years Eve, Halloween and Christmas, but right below those is the annual French bacchanal known as Le Beaujolais Nouveau. More appropriately, Le Beaujolais Nouveau refers to the unaged wine produced from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region of France. Ready for consumption less than two months after the annual harvests, the Beaujolais are rushed to Paris on the third Thursdays of November for immediate worldwide distribution.

The important bit of this, of course, is the celebration that's involved: at midnight we open up the lightly chilled bottles to toast whatever cause célèbre should make for the best excuse to get promptly hammered: the coming New Year, Thanksgiving, a dear friend's birthday, or the debut of yet another Harry Potter movie.

We've confirmed that Central Market, Whole Foods and Twin Liquors all have the new stock available, and we're sure that Chez Nous and other French restaurants around town will be hosting special events tonight. And best of all, the wines are hardly expensive: at anywhere from $7-$12 for the mid-range bottles, you can share a few with friends without breaking the bank. Of course, you'll have to finish them rather quickly: Beaujolais Nouveau wines are meant for rapid consumption!

For more info, check out Whole Foods' 10 Fascinating Facts about Beaujolais Nouveau