GET BEAUJY

Douglas Blyde toasts the arrival of Beaujolais season

Since 1951, the third Thursday of November marked the arrival of the bright Beaujolais Nouveau. Then, distributors rushed to deliver the first bottles from the vineyards above Lyon to Paris, 260 miles north. Thirsty Brits soon got in on the act, racing each other in fine cars to be first to land cases in the City. Called ‘the Beaujolais run’, participants included Sir Terence Conran, Des Lynam OBE and Nigel Mansell CBE.

Such spoils can still be found early on in the day in wine bars such as Gordon’s and Le Garrick. However, in recent years Japan has become the leading market for the barely fermented wine, followed by the United States given its release occurs one week before Thanksgiving — and its grape, Gamay, sings with turkey.

In London, Harry Lobek of London Shell Co pours the organic ‘French Kiss Kanon’ Nouveau from 10am on both his vessels at Paddington Basin. ‘While Beaujolais Nouveau is intrinsically a marketeer’s excuse for a party, we feel it acts as a beacon of hope for things to come,’ he says.

If a wine that is barely two months old strikes you as more punishment than nourishment, though, it’s worth delving deeper into the spoils of this increasingly fashionable region. Available from Natty Boy Wines, Dalston, the Bret Brothers Cru Juliénas La Bottière 2019 is cherry-scented and smooth as silk with no trace of the banana-like fragrance by which Beaujolais wines are often characterised (£34.20; nattyboywines.co.uk).

And you’ll get top marks if you bring a rare, white expression of Beaujolais to a dinner party. Arnaud Aucoeur’s Vieilles Vignes Blanc 2020 (£14.50; yapp. co.uk) offers a mineral, jasmine-scented draught of pure, unoaked Chardonnay, which bears similarities to Chablis. À votre santé!