Beaujolais Nouveau is a long-time tradition originating in France, where the first wine of that year’s harvest is released on the third Thursday of November each year. This wine is celebrated across the Beaujolais region and the world and is known for being light-bodied, fruity, and easy to drink. Our Head Winemaker, Phil Plummer, always loved this tradition, so he decided, why not try it out himself? Discover his inspiration and excitement behind carrying the Nouveau tradition to us here in the Finger Lakes.
“Beaujolais Nouveau is one of my favorite wine world traditions. I love the story behind it, the technical details, and the rituals built around the release date. When I first started making wine I knew I wanted to make Nouveau eventually, but it took a while to grow the confidence to give it a try. For a young winemaker, the process of making and releasing these wines can be daunting. In the lead-up to producing our first Nouveau in 2021, we’d experimented a little bit with carbonic maceration (the fermentation strategy employed to make Nouveau), but the resultant wines always ended up as pieces of bigger blends several months later. The traditional Nouveau release date always seemed to be a sticking point; I couldn’t wrap my brain around how to get a decent wine made and released on such a tight deadline.
On a chance visit to Scout Vineyards in the Spring of 2021, I tasted their 2020 Marquette Nouveau and was blown away by it. Olivia and Daniel had figured out a really clever way to address the deadline by using Marquette, an early ripening variety that typically comes off the vine in the first few weeks of September. Armed with that knowledge and inspiration, we decided to make one of our own that Fall. The rest is history.
By 2024, I’d gained a lot of confidence with all of the hallmarks of Nouveau production. When a small lot of hand-picked Riesling fell into my lap in the first week of October, attempting a white Nouveau felt like an obvious idea. It turned out better than I could have imagined, and instantly became a cult hit. After taking over Swedish Hill this past Summer, we suddenly had the opportunity to work with Frontenac Gris (another early ripening variety), and it seemed obvious to try making a pink Nouveau, too. One of my favorite things about making wine is the chance to create things that don’t yet exist outside my imagination, and white and pink Nouveaus are great examples of that.”
All three of our Nouveaus, Marquette, Riesling, and Frontenac Gris, will be released on Beaujolais Nouveau Day, November 20th. You can find them at all of our Martin Family locations and online. Join us in celebrating the 2025 harvest – cheers!
