Olivier Poels 5:44 p.m., November 18, 2021

Beaujolais Nouveau has been available for consumption since Thursday.

Launched in 1951, Beaujolais had its heyday before acquiring a bad reputation for its chemical aromas.

New winemakers, however, manage to make good bottles of this popular wine.

It's a tradition: like every third Thursday in November, Beaujolais Nouveau is now available for consumption.

If this wine was very popular in the 70s, it is nowadays in decline.

Beaujolais has a bad reputation and yet it is possible to savor very good bottles, according to our columnist Olivier Poels.

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Beaujolais Nouveau, a tradition dating back to 1951

It is a tradition which dates back to 1951. Before that time, it was forbidden to market the wine of the current year before December 15th. In Beaujolais, the producers mobilized to bring forward this date and won their case on November 13 of the same year with the authorization to sell wines from that date. Thanks to a well-thought-out marketing plan, success was immediate and the region threw itself headlong into what appears to be a fantastic goose that lays golden eggs. In the 1970s, volumes exploded and Beaujolais Nouveau represented nearly 50% of the appellation's sales volume.

Over the years, wine hacks have damaged the product and customers are increasingly disappointed.

Today, Beaujolais Nouveau represents only 25% of the appellation's production, 40% of which is sold abroad, particularly in Japan, a country very fond of Beaujolais.

Who is responsible for this disaffection for Beaujolais?

Well, no doubt the Beaujolais themselves.

A production of industrial wine without interest, with caricature aromas obtained thanks to the artifices of vinification.

Banana, cherry, blackcurrant: aromas obtained by traumatic yeasts and chemical techniques.

The new generation is bringing Beaujolais back to life

But, believe me, there are still some good Beaujolais.

There is a new generation of young winegrowers who once again want to believe that this product can be festive, uninhibited, affordable and above all authentic, with a real taste of wine, from a territory that we respect.

In good wine bars and bistros, you can find beautifully crafted cuvées, a good gurgling, as they say, to drink with friends, juicy, supple and affordable.

The 2021 vintage was complicated in terms of viticulture.

Frost, hail, disease: nothing spared the vines.

Consequence: this is the smallest harvest in 50 years, but the quality is quite good.

Prices should be trending slightly higher.

A good bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau costs a little less than 10 euros.