A mix of regulations — the wine cannot legally be sold prior to that date– and some successful marketing has made the yearly introduction of  “Beaujolais Nouveau” one of the francophile world’s most celebrated global events.
Wherever you are in the world, you’ll be able to taste this year’s production of the wine at the same time, as everybody else. And many french restaurants, wine stores and bars celebrate the date as it should.
Thanks to bad weather during the spring, this year’s edition of the Beaujolais nouveau promises to be more fully-bodied than the usual light and almost candy-like wine that is Beaujolais Nouveau.
And, if you miss the festivities on Thursday November 2012, you may not have to wait a full year to experience Beaujolais. Take a wine tour in Burgundy, or arrange for a private tour of Beaujolais, or even a wine tasting when you visit Paris.