Next: 19 Nov 2026
Beaujolais Nouveau Day
The third Thursday of November: the year's first Gamay is released at midnight and drunk young, in France and across the world.
When is Beaujolais Nouveau Day in 2026?
Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2026 is on Thursday, 19 November 2026. Other years: 2027, Thursday, 18 November 2027; 2028, Thursday, 16 November 2028.
About Beaujolais Nouveau Day
Beaujolais Nouveau is the red wine made from the Gamay grape harvested in the Beaujolais region in September and released, by law, on the third Thursday of November. It is fermented for only a few weeks, and its bright, fruity taste is best drunk young, within a few months. The release is a holiday in the region. At midnight on the Wednesday, Beaujolais villages hold wine festivals, with fireworks, bonfires, local sausages and bands, and cases of the first bottles leave for Paris and across the world. The slogan "Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé" was coined in the 1970s. In Japan, where it is imported by the million, it is celebrated in bars and bathhouses. The wine is a celebration of the end of the harvest.
Beaujolais Nouveau Day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Beaujolais Nouveau Day date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday, 19 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Thursday, 18 November 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, 16 November 2028 |
What is eaten
- Beaujolais nouveau
- saucisson
- cheese
Also part of it, and being written: Beaujolais nouveau (The wine.), Gamay (The grape.), Beaujolais (The region.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Beaujolais nouveau" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.