The 2016 Iowa Nouveau will be bottled on Wednesday, November 2. This dry red wine is very fruity. It is made entirely from grapes that were harvested in September and had therefore had no barrel aging. We will let it settle in the bottle until we release it on Thursday, November 17.
A nouveau wine has traditionally been used to celebrate the harvest. In European villages, it was the custom for villagers to get together for a celebration after all of the crops were harvested. In some cases, it was an excuse for a big party and local farmers would each bring a contribution for a big stew or soup that would be prepared in a big kettle in the town square. Local bakers would contribute bread. A local winemaker would bring in a barrel of “new” wine to help wash it all down. Everyone in the town and surrounding area would gather to eat and be merry!
Although today, we don’t usually see general wide-spread food shortages, food security was not taken for granted in Europe even into the 19th Century. So, a good harvest was something to be celebrated.
The wine for these harvests was traditionally a new or Nouveau wine which was very fresh and fruity. The wine was best when fresh.
Today, celebration of the arrival of the Nouveau wine is a worldwide event. In France, this wine is made in Beaujolais and shipped to arrive in cities all over the world on the third Thursday in November. I actually had the opportunity to be in Paris at a special restaurant when it was released many years ago. I took an instant liking to the Nouveau Beaujolais and am delighted to be able to offer an Iowa version to our customers later this month.
