The year’s first French wine goes on sale Thursday, November 19, at one minute past midnight. Beaujolais Nouveau is a young red made from Gamay grapes, picked at harvest and bottled within weeks, and it lands exactly one week before Thanksgiving. That timing alone makes it worth knowing.
The rules are strict. Since 1985, French law has set the release for the third Thursday of November, and no one may sell a bottle before then. The whole world opens it the same day.
Here’s what to buy. Bottles labeled Beaujolais Nouveau are the lightest and juiciest, with strawberry, cherry and sometimes a whiff of banana from the whole-grape fermentation. Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau comes from a group of villages in the northern part of the region and has a little more depth, and it’s the better bottle for dinner. Georges Duboeuf is the name you’ll see most.
Start with the labels. The Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is the bottle on nearly every shelf, and it’s dependable. Step up to the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau for a little more richness, or try the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Rosé Nouveau if you want something pink and chilled. All three are part of the 2026 release.
Smaller growers are where Nouveau gets interesting. Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau and Domaine du Clos du Fief Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau La Roche both stood out in a Wine Spectator tasting of last year’s Nouveau, and both come into the U.S. through the importer Skurnik, so any good wine shop can ask for them.
You can skip anything from Morgon, Fleurie or the region’s other cru villages. Those make Beaujolais for aging, not Nouveau.
In DFW, Spec’s carries the Duboeuf Nouveau, and most good wine shops stock at least one bottle by release day. Texas is one of Duboeuf’s top five markets for Nouveau in the country, so supply shouldn’t be a problem. Call ahead if you want a specific grower.
Serve it a little cool, around 54 to 57 degrees, which means about 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Then drink it. Nouveau tastes best in its first few months, so don’t hold a bottle for spring.
For food, think easy. A board of cheese and charcuterie is the classic French pairing, and roast chicken, burgers or a pizza night all work too. On Thanksgiving, it may be the most useful wine on the table. It’s low in tannin and bright with fruit, so it gets along with turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce at the same time, and even the relatives who swear they don’t drink red tend to like it.
The 2026 vintage had a rough year. Early reports from Beaujolais describe hail in mid-July that damaged a large share of the vineyards, followed by heat and drought, and an official harvest start of August 13, unusually early. Expect a smaller crop and wines that may taste a touch riper than the usual light Nouveau.
The celebration is part of the fun. Bistros in France still hang signs announcing “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” and the tradition spread from there to Tokyo and beyond. Until 1972, New York was the only American city importing it. In 2024, about 14.3 million bottles sold worldwide.
Santé.
