Say Oui or Non to Beaujolais Nouveau

NOT gamay grapes

Love it, hate it, there are all kinds of events surrounding the release of ~BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU~ this Thursday—here’s a round up of events around town and beyond, celebrating it, or not!  

Grand Café is throwing a Beaujolais Nouveau party from 5:30pm–7:30pm. It will be the 26th anniversary of its arrival in America—and Grand Café is offering a complimentary glass of Georges Duboeuf's Beaujolais Nouveau served straight from the barrel. Complimentary tastes from Grand Café’s fall menu will also be provided by chef Mauro Pando. 501 Geary St. at Taylor, 415-292-0101.

The Sir Francis Drake is going nuts and hosting two events on the same night: Beaujolais Nouveau and Día de la Revolución, commemorating the Mexican Revolution, hence their special night of ¡Viva Gamay! There will be a cocktail competition at 4:30pm that will feature Sir Francis Drake Hotel bartenders using Centenario Añejo Tequila. The winning cocktail will be featured at Bar Drake until the end of the year. Following the contest, guests will proceed to the mezzanine at 5:30pm as gamay enthusiast and winemaker Andrew Lane pours his Gamay Nouveau. You can meet the winemaker, sip, and eat a selection of hors d’oeuvres. There is then a pre-Thanksgiving winemaker’s dinner by chef Jen Biesty at Scala’s Bistro at 7pm. Cocktail contest and Gamay Nouveau party: $30; cocktail contest, Gamay Nouveau party, and winemaker’s dinner: $75. Purchase tickets online here. 450 Powell St. at Sutter.

Down in San Mateo, things are getting crazy: chef Roland Passot (La Folie, Left Bank Brasseries) is uncorking the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau at a big ole soiree at Left Bank at 6:30pm. The extravaganza includes chef Passot delivering an inaugural case of 2008 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau via a vintage red fire truck, accompanied by Liam Mayclem, the host/producer of Eye on the Bay, plus firefighters from San Mateo’s Station 21, can-can girls, live music, and a weekend of Moulin Rouge-style entertainment that will help benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. From Thursday November 20th through Saturday November 22nd, the Left Bank Brasserie, San Mateo, will feature a menu inspired menu by the Beaujolais region. 1100 Park Place, San Mateo, 650-345-2250.

Please note: there are additional parties at the other Left Bank locations—read all about the what and the where here.

And then 18 Reasons is hosting The 18th Hour: Beaujolais Not Nouveau on Thursday, November 20th from 7pm–9pm. From their press release: “We'll celebrate the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau by not drinking any. Instead, we'll taste a selection of quality wines from the Beaujolais region that treat gamay with the respect it deserves. Featuring no less than three selections from the Morgon area, come celebrate with wines from Marcel Lapierre, Domaine Dupeuble, and more. As always, we'll have small bites of great food to go with the wines, and great company to wit.” $5–10 suggested donation to benefit 18 Reasons. 593 Guerrero St at 18th St.

Say Oui or Non to Beaujolais Nouveau

Thu. Nov. 20th, 2008

Various locations