As long as people have grown and
harvested food, they have observed
festivals of thanksgiving.
During these harvest
festivals, people would
make music and play
sports and games. They
would also hold a
harvest parade.
We observe Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of
each November.
They have festivals celebrating the release of the new wine
harvest on the 3rd Thursday of each November.
This grape harvest celebration
is called Beaujolais Nouveau.
And unlike Thanksgiving, which
is only celebrated here in the
USA, Beaujolais Nouveau is
celebrated all over France and
in many wine-loving countries
around the world.
 The
Beaujolais
region had always
made a vin de
l’année to
celebrate the end
of the harvest, but
until WWII is was
only for local
consumption.
 This
means it does
not have to
ferment as long as
typical wines so it
is available for
consumption much
sooner than other
wines.
Then fermented into wine that is ready to drink within
just 6-8 weeks after the harvest.
Georges Deboeuf saw
the potential to make a
lot of money by selling
the Beaujolais wine
within weeks of the
grape harvest.
with a race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the
new wine.
In Lyon, France they host the
Beaujolympiades and roll the
barrels of wine through town in a
parade of music and fireworks.
In Beaujeu, France (the capital
of the Beaujolais region) the
city hosts a massive party and
parade called Sarmentelles.
About half of the Beaujolais
Nouveau is exported to other
countries. Japan holds a
celebration where people
actually swim in the wine!
Behind Japan, Germany is one
of the biggest markets to
celebrate the Beaujolais
Nouveau wine.
At the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas,
Nevada actors dress up and act
out the “I love Lucy” grape
squashing scene in honor of
Beaujolais Nouveau
It is also highly promoted in the
United States as a drink for
Thanksgiving, boasting that it
tastes great with turkey. Since
Thanksgiving is exactly one week
after the Beaujolais wine is
released, it fits with the
marketing plan quite well.