Celebrate French Beaujolais Nouveau Day in East Wheeling
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WHEELING -- Every November, a French tradition sends millions of bottles of just-finished wine racing from the vineyards of Beaujolais to dinner tables around the world, and French law prohibits it from being sold before the official Beaujolais Nouveau Day.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Good Mansion Wines is bringing the celebration to East Wheeling.
Beaujolais Nouveau is made from Gamay grapes harvested just weeks before its release. Originally a humble local wine consumed by vineyard workers and villagers to celebrate the end of harvest, Nouveau became an international phenomenon in the 20th century, thanks in large part to legendary French winemaker Georges Duboeuf. By the 1980s, the annual race to deliver the first bottles to Paris, London, Tokyo and beyond had become a marketing spectacle, complete with midnight celebrations and the triumphant announcement, Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive! -- "The new Beaujolais has arrived!"
By French tradition, the wine cannot be released until the third Thursday of November, making it one of the few wines in the world with its own unofficial holiday.
For Good Mansion Wines, the celebration is a natural fit. Housed in a historic Victorian mansion in East Wheeling, the specialty wine and food shop is a little piece of Europe in the middle of West Virginia. Original stained glass and ornate woodwork provide the backdrop for shelves lined with carefully selected wines, imported Italian and French delicacies, artisan cheeses and other hard-to-find European provisions. Behind the counter, bakers turn out fresh breads and pastries, while the kitchen prepares sandwiches and other specialties inspired by European food traditions. It’s the sort of place where a quick stop for a bottle of wine can turn into a leisurely exploration of the continent’s culinary traditions, no passport required.
To mark Beaujolais Nouveau Day, Good Mansion Wines will host a tasting exploring just how much variety can come from this famously youthful wine. Guests will sample five expressions of Beaujolais, including the traditional red Nouveau, a rose, an unusual orange wine, and a more limited-production, small-batch offering. A final pour of non-Nouveau Beaujolais will demonstrate what happens when the same Gamay grape is given a little more time and a different approach in the cellar.
The tasting takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at Good Mansion Wines in East Wheeling. Admission is $20 per person, with an optional French cheese box available. Tickets can be reserved online or by calling the shop. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited and the tasting is expected to sell out.
Tickets can be purchased at https://goodmansionwines.com/products/beaujolais-nouveau-day-at-good-mansion.
After all, if you can’t make it to France for Beaujolais Nouveau Day, those at Good Mansion Wines said a little corner of Europe in East Wheeling is a pretty good alternative.
Photo ProvidedBeaujolais Nouveau celebrates the release of France’s first wine of the year each November. Continuing a longstanding tradition, Georges Duboeuf commissions a new artist each year to create an original poster celebrating the harvest and the connection between wine, art and culture. The 2026 artwork features French contemporary artist Julien Colombier.