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The Beaujolais Bluff
Be a Wine Connoisseur at your Beaujolais Nouveau Party
If you have not had Beaujolais Nouveau, you have not
really lived in the wine world. And right now is the time enjoy this special
opportunity. Be a sport. Share it with your friends. They will always
remember their first sip with you.
1.
Beaujolais Nouveau. Say it. Out loud. Let it roll off of your
tongue, Beaujolais Nouveau. That was awful. Try again, pretend
you’re Georges Duboeuf. Summon your inner Francophile and say “boh jhoe
lay.” That’s it, you did it! Congratulations, you have now taken your
first step towards coming off as a wine connoisseur.
2. Attitude, baby. When your mother said “be yourself
and everyone will like you” clearly, she was not referring to the dazzling,
high-stakes world of wine tasting. It is important to project a certain
image of leisure and worldliness, when playing the wine connoisseur, if
possible try to begin all stories with “When Anka and I were biking through
Romaneche Thorins . . .” or “Well, Michelin guide says . . .”
3. Gear. Would you go rock climbing without a
harness? Would you go motorcross racing without a helmet? Then why would
you host a Beaujolais Nouveau party without proper glasses? It’s just
asking for trouble. Cheap stemware is available for as little as a dollar
apiece, or be a rebel, serve out of plastic cups. We draw the line at
Styrofoam though, it is not only bad for the environment, but it is
considered tres gauche, which is French for “you are a tacky
American.”
4. Wardrobe. We suggest you wear dark colors as we
know you are clumsy and will most likely spill on yourself.
5.
Information. Sure, you could really study wine. Like Mr. Duboeuf himself,
you could spend years ruminating over tastings and pairings, fermentation
and vinification, or you could memorize a few quick facts about Beaujolais
Nouveau and be on your way to appearing more cultured, thus better, than all
of your friends. We knew you’d see it our way.
*Beaujolais refers to the region of France where the grapes are harvested.
*It is 34 miles long from north to south and 7 to 9 miles wide.
*Nouveau means “New,” and the wine is literally that, the new wine of the
new year.
*Beaujolais Nouveau is made from a grape called the Gamay.
*Beaujolais Nouveau debuts annually, the third Thursday of each November.
* The #1 selling brand of Beaujolais is Georges Duboeuf.
6.
How to serve. Beaujolais Nouveau should be served slightly chilled, around
55º Farenheit. True wine connoisseurs will chill their bottles in a cave
(pronounced cahv), a cold chamber designed for maintaining the
integrity of fine wines. People pretending to be wine connoisseurs will
chill their bottles in their fridges, or perhaps mini-fridges. You will fall
into this latter category.
7. Food. They won’t know if it’s the wine, or your
new-found charm that’s making them lightheaded, but your guests are bound to
get peckish, at some point during the evening. Luckily, Georges Duboeuf
Beaujolais Nouveau is a versatile wine that goes well with both haute
cuisine and Tuesday night’s meatloaf, so party snacks won’t break the bank.
We enjoy a mélange of cheeses, cured meats, olives and nuts.
8. Disposition. Interesting fact: Francois
Truffaut, Victor Hugo, Charlemagne, all very French, and yet not one of them
would have thrown a good Beaujolais Nouveau party. Why? Because Beaujolais
Nouveau is a reason to party. Just because you’re speaking French it
doesn’t mean that you have to wear black and chain smoke. A good wine
connoisseur knows that sophistication and fun are not mutually exclusive.
9.
Finishing touches. Sometimes it’s the little details that make all of the
difference. Things to have on hand . . . because you never know: book of
matches, Wine Away stain remover, bandaids, fire extinguisher, tranquilizer
dart, passport under assumed name, one thousand dollars in unmarked bills.
Oh, and Aspirin, after all, you have work tomorrow.
10. Enjoy yourself. The best hosts are always
the ones having the most fun at the party. Have another glass of wine.
Start that conga line. Yes, put the lampshade on your head. These are all
good ideas. The night is as young as the wine, live a little, it’s a new
year.
Learning to Be a Wine Wizard
Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108
Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style
By Mark Oldham
Penguin Original $18.00
Received the Georges Duboeuf Book Award of Year at the annual Beaujolais
Nouveau luncheon in New York
Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing
By Tony Didio and Amy Zavatto
Alpha Books
How to Pronounce French, German and Italian Wine
Names
By Dianna Bellucci
They also include a bonus of Austrian, Spanish and Portugese Wine Names
Luminosa Publishing
www.howtopronounce.com
The Little Book of Champagne
By Christian Pessey
Flammarion Publishing
The Little Book of Cognac
By Christian Pessey
Flammarion Publishing
The Guide to Colorado Wineries
By Alta and Brad Smith
Fulcrum Publishing
www.fulcrum-books.com
Discovering Washington Wines
By Tom Parker
An introduction to one of the most exciting Premium wine regions
Ranconteurs Press
www.reconteurs.com
Hidden Wine Country
By Marty Olmstead and Ray Riegert
Ulysses Press
www.ulyssespress.com
Touring Texas Wineries
By Thomas M. Giesla and Regina M. Giesla
Scenic Drives along Texas Wine Trails
Lone Star Books
www.texaswinetrails.com
Access California Wine Country
A guide that leads you street by street into the Heart of the Wine Country
Updated by Donna Peck
Harper Resource
www.harpercollins.com
Great Tastes Made Simple
By Andrea Immer
(author of Great Wine Made Simple)
www.broadwaybooks.com
Wine for Women
A guide for buying, pairing and sharing wine
By Leslie SBrocco
William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers
www.lesliebrocco.com
www.harpercollins.com
Edited by Madelyn Miller
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