Beaujolais Nouveau 2025: what is Beaujolais Nouveau and when will it be released?

The origin and history of Beaujolais Nouveau

As early as the 19th century, a handful of wine merchants bought Beaujolais Nouveau “sous le pressoir” (under the press), and in the following weeks presented it to distributors, cafetiers and restaurateurs in Paris and Lyon. Fermentation of the wines was often completed during transport, thus protecting them from spoilage. However, the history of Beaujolais Nouveau was subsequently marked by changes in regulations.

In November 1951, a decree prohibited the sale of AOC wines before December 15 of the vintage year. However, the clamor of the people soon caused the administrative authority to backtrack, and in the face of protests, it quickly reversed its decision. The marketing of certain wines was therefore authorized before mid-December, on condition that producers added the word “new”.

From the 1980s onwards, the event even acquired its own slogan: "Beaujolais Nouveau is here!

The producers of two Beaujolais appellations were able to offer an en primeur wine to the delight of wine lovers:

• AOC Beaujolais

• AOC Beaujolais-Villages

A national and international success story. The phenomenon quickly spread beyond France's borders, and the famous primeur wines were found all over the world, particularly in the United States and Asia. According to l’Inter Beaujolais, of the 161,000 hl produced in 2019, 46% of Beaujolais Nouveau volumes sold were destined for export, with only 23% going to Japan, where it is highly appreciated. In recent years, however, as consumption has fallen, production volumes have been gradually declining. But many winemakers continue to uphold the tradition, proving that Beaujolais Nouveau can also be kept for two or three years after its release.

Gone is the banana taste of the laboratory yeast used in the past (71B yeast), nowadays the younger generations use indigenous yeasts (i.e. yeasts that come directly from the grape's natural environment). They contribute to the typicity of the wine, giving it the aromatic complexity of the terroir. That's why more and more people are talking about Beaujolais Nouveau, to emphasize the multiple expression of Gamay across the different types of terroir.

When is Beaujolais Nouveau released?

Since the decree of October 29, 1985, Beaujolais Nouveau has been released on the 3rd Thursday of November each year (along with other vins primeurs such as Muscat de Noël), becoming a day to celebrate the conviviality of the Beaujolais terroir and friendship over a glass of “vin des copains” (wine of friends) with the arrival of the vin primeur. A not-to-be-missed event for connoisseurs and amateurs alike, the Beaujolais Nouveau evening heralds the arrival of the new vintage and brings people together to share a glass of wine.

The release of Beaujolais Nouveau is always an opportunity to rediscover the richness of the rolling Beaujolais countryside and the winegrowers' cellars, while enjoying a tasting of Beaujolais wines.

This year, Beaujolais Nouveau will be released on November 20, 2025!