BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU

Every year, on the third Thursday in November, Volare hosts a theme night to celebrate the newly released wine harvest from the Beaujolais region in France.  It's always a fabulous success, that guests and Volare staff really enjoy taking part in, making it a very popular event. The menu is always a set four courses of French cuisine with dishes that either contain the Beaujolais wine or that are taken from recipes which originate from the Beaujolais region. 

The wine is sold, slightly cool as recommended by its producers, in traditional Beaujolais half litre flasks. The majority of the Nouveau wine stock at Volare does get consumed on the Beaujolais Nouveau theme night but there is usually a little left over during the run up to Christmas.  Beaujolais wine is meant to be drunk young and owes its easy-drinkability to the wine making process called whole berry fermentation.   All the grapes (Gamay is the only grape variety permitted for Beaujolais) in the Beaujolais region (34 miles long and 7 to 9 miles wide) are picked only by hand.  These are the only vineyards, along with Champagne, where hand harvesting is mandatory.

The theme night is advertised in Volare, from the middle of September.  A deposit is required when reserving tables.  To appreciate the wine to its full, a pre-booked taxi home is essential!