New Beaujolais Hailed as French Pop Corks

Bottles of Beaujolais popped open across France today as this year’s production of the fruity red wine was released to rave reviews.

Experts hailed the 1990 Beaujolais as among the best, thanks to grapes with a high sugar content because of a drought.

“It’s a very good year, with a very good aroma,” said Michel Pouilhis, an accountant, after a few glasses of the ruby-red vintage at Le Lutin wine bar and restaurant. “But what’s most important is the tradition. The French love tradition.”

That tradition dictates that sales of Beaujolais are embargoed until midnight of the third Thursday in November.

The Japanese, usually the first in the world to taste Beaujolais because of the time difference (eight hours ahead of France), will have to wait until Nov. 22. The Tokyo government has suspended cargo flights into Japan as a security measure for a series of enthronement rituals for newly crowned Emperor Akihito.

Philippe Girard, owner of Le Lutin, near the Arc de Triomphe, lives and breathes by the Beaujolais tradition, even bottling it himself after buying it by the barrel.

“I spent six hours washing 70 bottles yesterday,” Girard said. “I take it seriously. The proof is that while I was bottling, I didn’t drink a single drop. And then, at one past midnight, clack!--I offered a glass, on the house to every customer here. Now that’s tradition.”

A widespread and highly orchestrated advertising blitz heralds Beaujolais’ arrival each year. “It’s the biggest commercial publicity operation ever invented in the world,” Girard said.

American wine lovers almost missed Beaujolais this year because of the presence of the banned fungicide procymidone. Washington and Paris haggled briefly before agreeing on the exports.

The “very good” vintages are this year, 1989 and 1985. 1987 was considered average and 1984 below par.