Americans are constantly looking for other cultures’ celebrations to takeover and declare to be a day for drinking. There’s St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and Mardi Gras, but there’s also a lesser-known French, wine-based holiday called Beaujolais Day that’s celebrated on the third Thursday of November.
The holiday marks the end of the French harvest season and the start of wine drinking season (hurrah!). It’s traditionally celebrated with fireworks, music and festivals—about 120 of those festivals are in the Beaujolais region alone. The name is derived from the Beaujolais nouveau wine, which is made from Gamay grapes, ferments quickly making it the first available wine after the harvest and it doesn’t particularly age well, so it’s usually consumed fairly soon after bottling.
Here’s a few places to celebrate Beaujolais Day in the Pacific Northwest.
The Heathman Hotel, Portland: The Rose City chapter of the Alliance Française, which aims to promote Francophone culture within the city, is hosting its 13th Annual Beaujolais Nouveau Festival on Friday, November 21 at the downtown The Heathman Hotel. For the largest celebration of its kind on the West Coast, lucky guests can enjoy the traditional nouveau wines in addition to an array of bottles from Washington and Oregon wineries including WillaKenzie Estate, Cooper Mountain Vineyard and Ruby Vineyard. || More info here.
Bastille Café & Bar, Seattle: Located just north of downtown Seattle in the Ballard neighborhood, the Bastille Café & Bar’s general manager and wine director James Lechner teamed up with their head sommelier to hand select a menu of wines that make exceptional use of the Gamay grape, in addition to some other wines from the Beaujolais region. Head chef Jason Stoneburner also created a special menu just for the holiday. || More info here.
Heritage Hall, Vancouver: On Main Street just south of downtown Vancouver at the historic Heritage Hall, locals can indulge in traditional French music and cuisine in a Beaujolais Nouveau celebration that’s also hosted by a local chapter of the Alliance Francaise. This event must be looking to pack the house with red-lipped sillies as it’s offering one free glass of wine to anyone who shows up with five of his or her best chums. || More info here.
Admiral Theatre, Bremerton, WA: Located just a ferry ride and short drive away in Bremerton, The Admiral Theatre’s Beaujolais Nouveau ticket price will include a dinner from a special French menu, two glasses of wine and bottle of 2014 Beaujolais nouveau as a parting gift. ||More info here.
