New York, Friday, November 21, 2008 – Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 arrived into New York City on Thursday with a roar … with motorcycle-riding chefs and sommeliers, and Harley-Davidson Hog Club members escorting Franck Duboeuf and a case of the new wine from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan to an uncorking ceremony and lunch at David Bouley’s new restaurant, Secession, in Tribeca. A similar Beaujolais Biker procession was held the same day in Miami  Beach with Duboeuf winemaker, Stéphane Queralt, riding down Ocean Drive to an uncorking at Casa Casuarina.

According to French law, Beaujolais Nouveau, a red wine made from 100 percent Gamay grapes, is released at one minute past midnight on the third Thursday in November. This longtime tradition is celebrated worldwide with creative “Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé!” events, from this year’s midnight pajama party in San Diego to a weekend of events at Paris Las Vegas, commencing with a lighting of the hotel’s famous “Eiffel Tower” Beaujolais red and delivery of the wine by helicopter at 12:01 a.m.  More than 250 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau events taking place around the country can be found at www.chilledred.com.  Georges Duboeuf is the most popular producer of Beaujolais in the world and the number one French wine brand in the U.S.

William (Bill) Deutsch, Chairman and Peter Deutsch, CEO of W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd., exclusive U.S. agent for Les Vins de Georges Duboeuf, presided over the uncorking ceremony in New York with Franck Duboeuf, whose entrepreneurial father founded Les Vins de Georges Duboeuf in 1964. Franck Duboeuf announced that the harvest this year was optimum.

 “Brilliant sunshine dominated the last 20 days of September, allowing for a late harvest in which the Gamay grapes achieved perfect balance. Yields are possibly the lowest since 1975; consequently the 2008 is a more full bodied ‘winemaker’s vintage’,” he noted.

This year, in an unprecedented break from tradition, 75% of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau was delivered by ship from France to the U.S. instead of by air freight.  According to Bill Deutsch, this measure was intended to help offset the wine’s carbon footprint. The boat shipment also helped offset an otherwise significant price increase due to rising fuel costs.  Due to shipment by boat the wines remains at a retail price of US$10-12 per bottle.

The New York Beaujolais Biker Brigade included: Alain Allegretti, Allegretti; Jean-Claude Baker, Chez Josephine; Jean-Michel Bergougnoux, L’Absinthe; David Bouley, Secession;  Heather Branch, Eighty One; R.J. Cooper, Vidalia, Washington, D.C.; Ariane Daguin, D’Artagnan; Kevin Garcia, ‘Cesca; Johnny Iuzzini, Jean Georges; John Miele, Eighty One; Marc Murphy, Landmarc; Francois Payard, Payard Patisserie & Bistro; Ron Pellizzi, Brooklyn Culinary Inc.; Kristie Petrullo, Restaurant Daniel; Joel Reiss, Artisanal; Gregory Pugin, Veritas; Cedric Tovar, Le Rouge Vif; Alex Ureña, Pamplona; and Jean Paul Zaremba, Colony Club.

The Miami Beaujolais Biker Brigade included: Mustafa Aziz and Bruno Macazaga, Villa Grande Club; Sean Bernal. Oceanaire Seafood Room; Marc Debas, Acqualina; Beto DiCarlo, Café Ragazzi; Carlos Fernandez, Hi-Life Café; Juliana Gonzalez and Sergio Navarro, SUSHISAMBA dromo; Stephane Hainaut, Barton G. The Restaurant; Didier Lailheugue, Au Pied de Cochon; Luis Lopez, Soyka; Dale Ray, Loftin’s 1116 Ocean Drive; Mario Silvestri, DeVito South Beach; Juan Pablo Viejo, Andú and Jen Karetnick, Wine News.

Three hunger relief charities were beneficiaries of this year’s celebration: Citymeals-on-Wheels, City Harvest and Share Our Strength, whose check was accepted by biker Chef R.J. Cooper of Washington, D.C. restaurant Vidalia, on behalf of his group, Biker Chefs for Share Our Strength.