Miami, November 20, 2008 – Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 arrived into Miami today with a roar … with motorcycle-riding chefs and sommeliers and Harley-Davidson Hog Club members escorting Duboeuf Winemaker Stéphane Queralt and a case of the new wine to an uncorking ceremony and lunch at Casa Casuarina in South Beach.
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.
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, Jen Karetnick, Wine News; and Ralph Pagano, Host of MOJO HD’s Pressure Cook; along with members of the local Harley Davidson “Hog Club.”
Stéphane Queralt and Stephen Lewin, Chief Marketing Officer for W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd, official U.S. agent for Les Vins de Georges Duboeuf, presided over the uncorking ceremony.
Queralt 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 Stephen Lewin, this measure was intended to help offset the wine’s carbon footprint. The boat shipment also help offset an otherwise significant price increase due to rising fuel costs. Due to shipment by boat the wines remain at a retail price of US$10-12 per bottle.
Executive Chef Dale Ray of Loftin’s 1116 Ocean Drive, prepared a menu to pair with the Georges Duboeuf wines which included: Mâcon-Village 2007, Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2008 and Juliénas Château Des Capitans 2007.
Three hunger relief charities were beneficiaries of this year’s celebration: Citymeals-on-Wheels, City Harvest and Share Our Strength.
By law, Beaujolais Nouveau’s Gamay grapes must be harvested by hand. The wine’s easy drinkability is partially due to a production process called carbonic maceration, or whole berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins. The wine is bottled six weeks after harvest. Approximately one-third of the entire crop in the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau. A total of 65 million bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau are expected to be consumed this year. Beaujolais Nouveau is a refreshing and versatile wine that pairs well with casual foods and is a popular complement to Thanksgiving turkey and ham.