It has been celebrated since 1985. But in almost forty years, village festivals have gone out of fashion, and it has suffered from a kitsch and bad taste image, in every sense of the word. So, has Beaujolais Nouveau become a party for boomers? 20 minutes looked into the matter.
A festive wine
In Beaune, the celebrations have already started on Wednesday, in order to “wait until midnight for the vintage to flow”, explains Ludmilla Herbert, communications manager for the Agamy cooperative cellar, which brings together 350 winegrowers. During the Beaujolais Nouveau festivals, all generations come together, for a “friendly” discovery of the vintage of the year, she says. It is “an intergenerational event that allows us to come together”.
For Régine Le Coz, State-certified oenologist, this festive aspect is the hallmark of Beaujolais Nouveau, “which recalls the open-air cafes”. After two years of social isolation and therefore frustration due to the Covid crisis, she wants to believe in a rebound in the consumption of this wine among young people.
Beaujolais has for him not “to need to make a high level agreement with the dish”. And the specialist quotes: “pâté, sausage, bread”, the basics of a casual evening between students … especially since wine is cheap. Because, apart from restaurateurs, production is mainly intended for mass distribution. “You don’t take any risk with a bottle between three and five euros”, summarizes the oenologist.
A wine that is renewed
Despite everything, she admits that the enthusiasm born around the “formidable marketing idea of the 1980s” had run out of steam. “Communication had remained the same until two years ago,” says Ludmilla Herbert. The tendency of certain winegrowers to “make Beaujolais Nouveau in large quantities, to the detriment of quality” has resulted in the labeling of “bad wine for old people” being added to the appellation. But since 2019, the industry has re-mobilized.
Around the “Nouveau by Beaujolais” operation, wine has “entered the era of time”, with communication “aimed at digital, to reach all generations,” underlines Ludmilla Herbert. Beaujolais Nouveau has also been developed for a wider reach: thanks to its position, explains the specialist, the region can also produce white and rosé.
A wine to discover
“We stick the label of rosé consumers to women, but they also drink Beaujolais,” notes Régine Le Coz. Indeed, its fruity taste, less rich in tannin, makes it “easy to drink”, which is also one more asset to seduce the uninitiated, explains the oenologist. “It’s a current consumer trend,” confirms Ludmilla Herbert. The wines sought are lighter and fruity, less astringent. “
Far from the image of a wine for connoisseurs, in a masculine environment, Beaujolais Nouveau therefore seeks to attract whatever the age, social level, gender or… consumption experience.
A good part of the production is sold abroad, in particular in Japan. If the traditional and terroir aspect of Beaujolais Nouveau is not for you, what could be more hype than tasting the vintage while bathing in wine, as in Tokyo?