The early history of Beaujolais Nouveau can trace its roots to 19th century when the first wines of the vintage were sent down the Saône to the early bistros of Lyon.
Upon their arrival signs would be put out proclaiming "Le Beaujolais Est Arrivé!"
and its consumption was seen as a celebration of another successful harvest.
In the 1960s, this style of simple Beaujolais became increasingly popular worldwide with more than half a million cases of it being sold.
In 1985 the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) established the third Thursday of November to allow for a uniform release date for the wine.
Wines are typically shipped a few days earlier to locations around the world where they must be held in a bonded warehouse till 12:01 am, when the wines can be first opened and consumed.

Today, about a third of the region's production is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, a marketing name created by George Duboeuf for the local vin de l'année.
It is the lightest, fruitiest style of Beaujolais and meant for simple quaffing.
Any Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages AOC vineyard can produce Beaujolais Nouveau.
The grapes are harvested between late August and early September.
It is fermented for just a few days and released to the public on the third Thursday of November - "Beaujolais Nouveau Day".
It is the first French wine to be released for each vintage year.
In 1992, at its peak, more than half of all Beaujolais wine was sold as "Beaujolais Nouveau".
The wines are meant to be drunk as young as possible, when they are at their freshest and fruitiest.
They can last up to one or two years but will have lost most of their characteristic flavors by that point.
The early history of Beaujolais Nouveau can trace its roots to 19th century when the first wines of the vintage were sent down the Saône to the early bistros of Lyon. Upon their arrival signs would be put out proclaiming "Le Beaujolais Est Arrivé!" and its consumption was seen as a celebration of another successful harvest. In the 1960s, this style of simple Beaujolais became increasingly popular worldwide with more than half a million cases of it being sold. In 1985 the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) established the third Thursday of November to allow for a uniform release date for the wine. Wines are typically shipped a few days earlier to locations around the world where they must be held in a bonded warehouse till 12:01 am, when the wines can be first opened and consumed.
Today, about a third of the region's production is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, a marketing name created by George Duboeuf for the local vin de l'année. It is the lightest, fruitiest style of Beaujolais and meant for simple quaffing. Any Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages AOC vineyard can produce Beaujolais Nouveau. The grapes are harvested between late August and early September. It is fermented for just a few days and released to the public on the third Thursday of November - "Beaujolais Nouveau Day". It is the first French wine to be released for each vintage year. In 1992, at its peak, more than half of all Beaujolais wine was sold as "Beaujolais Nouveau". The wines are meant to be drunk as young as possible, when they are at their freshest and fruitiest. They can last up to one or two years but will have lost most of their characteristic flavors by that point.
Beaujolais