Rosé fans will be joining Beaujolais Nouveau-lovers in eager anticipation of Thursday, November 15, 2018 when Beaujolais Nouveau Day also becomes Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé Day for the first time in the US. On this day, the third Thursday of November when French law allows the release of the “first wine of the harvest,” Les Vins GeorgesDuboeuf (the family-owned-and-operated winery that popularized Beaujolais Nouveau across the globe) is launching a “new” Nouveau.
According to Franck Duboeuf, who manages Les Vins Georges Duboeuf with his legendary father Georges, the Nouveau Rosé is made from Gamay grapes carefully selected from the best vineyards in the Beaujolais AOC region. These same growers supply the winery with the grapes for their classic Beaujolais Nouveau. Some of them have worked with Georges Duboeuf since the winery’s first Nouveau release in 1983.
“We are excited to send a Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé to the US for the first time,” Franck says.
The skin of the Gamay grape is nearly black, while the flesh and juice are white, so these same grapes can produce either a red or a rosé wine, depending on the vinification process. Like the classic Beaujolais Nouveau, the Rose version is being made by Duboeuf’s Chief Winemakers, Emeric Gaucher and Denis Lapalu, at the state-of-the-art winery in Romanèche-Thorins. The winemakers explained that they look for grapes fit for rosé — those with a slightly high acidity to retain a fresh mouthfeel.
“Rosé’s lighter, fresh profile is similar to the description of Beaujolais Nouveau, so it’s no surprise that the Gamay grape would be natural to produce high-quality Rosé,” explains Dennis Kreps, co-owner of Quintessential (the exclusive US importer of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf), with his father, Stephen D. Kreps. “The exploding popularity of Rosés from France and other countries has gone well beyond ‘summer sipping’ into year-round enjoyment,” Dennis says. “Given that Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé will be released at the same time as the classic Beaujolais Nouveau, it comes to market in time for holiday gift-giving and entertaining.”Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé 2018 will feature the same rich and vivid abstract oil painting on its label as the classic Beaujolais Nouveau 2018. It was created by Nashville, TN native Chloe Meyer, an emerging artist who won the honor this past May after entering the annual Georges Duboeuf competition to find original artwork for the Beaujolais Nouveau label via voting by consumers on social media.
This new Rosé will be available nationwide on Thursday, November 15, 2018 with a suggested retail price of $13.99. For more information, contact Quintessential at www.quintessentialwines.com or call (707) 226-8300.
About Les Vins Georges Duboeuf:
Georges Duboeuf is a premium producer of award-winning French wines from the Beaujolais and Mâconnais regions of Burgundy and the South of France. Georges Duboeuf’s love affair with Beaujolais is no secret. His legendary palate, his ability to spot great wine and his enthusiasm continue to make him a celebrated figure in the wine industry. The wines that Les Vins Georges Duboeuf bring to market are renowned for their quality and value. Georges Duboeuf currently works closely with hundreds of small family wine growers to procure the highest quality fruit throughout the region. Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is imported by Quintessential Wines, based in Napa, California.
About Quintessential Wines:
Founded in 2002 by father and son, Stephen D. and Dennis Kreps, Quintessential is a family-owned-and-operated import, marketing and sales company headquartered in Napa, California. It is dedicated exclusively to representing other multi-generational, family-owned-and-operated producers who have the same passion for winemaking that Quintessential has for strategically marketing and selling those wines. These producers, from top wine regions around the world, create wines that offer the best, most authentic expression of the grapes from their respective vineyards. For more information, please visit http://www.quintessentialwines.com.
