room temperature is traditional. tried and trusted friends. licence, diners are at liberty to bring their own
bottles of Beaujolais nouveau on the day. Not
The category of wine that helps to light up “Beaujolais Day is a great business and social
only will they be able to enjoy good food and
a dark November day is actually Beaujolais occasion,” observes Sarah Whitticase, of
wine, they will also be raising funds for a worthy
primeur or, more commonly, Beaujolais Swansea’s Dragon Hotel on the Kingsway.
charity.”
nouveau, which essentially describes the light “What we do every year is to take a table and
wine that can be released for sale within weeks entertain our best bookers for the day. It is For local wine merchants, Beaujolais Day
of the grapes being harvested. And although always a fantastic business and corporate day. kick-starts the Christmas party season. “It has
there are Beaujolais crus that can improve after Local businesses all look forward to it and most become a traditional day” says Geraint Davies,
as long as three years, essentially nouveau of them make sure they take a half-day for the of ND John Wine Merchants. “Curiously enough,
is made to be drunk within a maximum of occasion. it seems to be almost exclusively Swansea
three months of bottling. This means that the that makes a point of celebrating the event.
wine appeals to drinkers of white wine, who Everywhere will be busier than usual and it is
often find their path to the more complex reds
through this route. The attraction is there also
for those who only drink red wine once a year,
“it’s always a
always a great social occasion.”
Cafe Valance in Mumbles will be repeating last
aided by the wine’s reputation as a party wine;
a wine to be quaffed rather than sipped.
great social
year’s successful formula with a light-hearted
approach that recalls the heyday of popular
That leads neatly on to the popularity of the
occasion.”
sitcom ’Allo ’Allo. Renee, brought to life on this
occasion by Andy Crouch, will be joined by
day itself. Obviously, the tradition originated waiting staff in the guise of French maids.
in France and stayed there for many years,
primarily in the bars and cafés of Beaujolais
The Beaujolais nouveau will be supplied by
and Lyons. Initially, the day was designated “It is a really popular event in Swansea, as our
Cheers and food on offer will include a range
as November 15, and its popularity began bookings show. It’s a great opportunity for the
of French cheeses provided by top local
to spread. Eventually Beaujolais Day was re- business community to let its hair down and do
delicatessen Olives & Oils. To complement the
designated as the now-famous third Thursday some profitable networking.”
Beaujolais, some of the cheeses making an
in November. Importers of the new wine are
appearance are likely to be: Camembert au
expected to agree not to serve it until the
Smooth Mediterranean Coffee Lounge is
Beaujolais, a soft cheese from the Normandy
appointed day which, of course, opens the door
relatively new to the city and adjoins the
region; Bûchette de Chèvre au Beaujolais, a
to the element of competition to be first to serve
Maritime museum on Swansea’s Waterfront.
goat’s milk cheese with a white moulded rind
the year’s nouveau.
At Smooth, Beaujolais Day comes with a twist.
washed with Beaujolais; Persillé du Beaujolais,
“We are hosting Beaujolais Day in aid of the
a blue-veined cheese made from raw cow’s
Over the years, every conceivable means James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer, which milk from the Beaujolais region; and Coeur
has been used to be first to bring the new is organised by Joanne Chapman,” explains Gourmand au Beaujolais, a little goats’ cheese
drink to the market, including Concorde in its Smooth’s Rana Khalifa. “We are offering a from Périgord filled with Beaujolais wine jelly.
heyday. And therein lies the worldwide appeal; choice of sittings at noon, 2pm and 4pm,
competition plus a party. It’s what makes the and diners can expect a two-course meal
It appears that Swansea retains a fondness for
world go round. And here in Swansea Bay those representative of the Beaujolais region of
Beaujolais Day. It retains its appeal and the city
two elements have always been welcomed like France. As we do not currently have a drinks
will be celebrating as hard as ever.
30 swansealife November 2009
BeaujolaisDay.indd 30 19/10/2009 17:52:10
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