Mr. Five Star

body {behavior: url(http://www.mrfivestar.com/modules/mod_lxmenupro/csshover.htc);} table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro { background: transparent; width: auto; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul { margin: 0; padding: 0; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li { float: left; position: relative; list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; height: 20px; width: 190px; background-color: #000000; background-image: url(http://www.mrfivestar.com/modules/mod_lxmenupro/images/background/menu_back_f01.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: left; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li:hover, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentsub, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li:hover, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentsub { background-color: #000000; background-image: none; background-image: url(http://www.mrfivestar.com/modules/mod_lxmenupro/images/background/menu_back_f02_f02.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: left; z-index: 20; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem { height: 20px; width: 110px; background-color: #000000; background-image: url(http://www.mrfivestar.com/modules/mod_lxmenupro/images/background/menu_back_f01.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: left; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem:hover, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentmain, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem:hover, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentmain { background-color: #000000; background-image: url(http://www.mrfivestar.com/modules/mod_lxmenupro/images/background/menu_back_f02_f02.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: left; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li a { display: block; padding-top: 2px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 3px; color: #88cccc; font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,verdana,arial; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; text-decoration: none; margin-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 20px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; height: auto; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li:hover>a, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentsub>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li:hover>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentsub>a { color: #ddffff; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; text-decoration: none; margin-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 20px; padding-left: 3px; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem>a { padding-top: 2px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 3px; color: #88cccc; font-size: 13px; font-family: tahoma,verdana,arial; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; text-decoration: none; border-top-width: 0; border-right-width: 0; border-bottom-width: 0; border-left-width: 0; margin-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 20px; padding-left: 3px; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem:hover>a, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentmain>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.mainitem:hover>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.currentmain>a { color: #ddffff; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; text-decoration: none; border-top-width: 0; border-right-width: 0; border-bottom-width: 0; border-left-width: 0; margin-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 20px; padding-left: 3px; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level1 a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level1 a { width: auto; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.folder>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.folder>a { } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro>ul a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro>ul a { width: auto; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul ul, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul ul { display: none; position: absolute; width: 190px; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.folder li.folder>a, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro li.folder li.folder>a { background-image: url(http://www.mrfivestar.com/modules/mod_lxmenupro/images/symbol/arrow_gr2.gif);background-position:98% 50%;padding-right:15px; background-repeat: no-repeat; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level0 li.folder:hover ul.level1, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level1 li.folder:hover ul.level2, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level2 li.folder:hover ul.level3, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level3 li.folder:hover ul.level4, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level4 li.folder:hover ul.level5, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level5 li.folder:hover ul.level6, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level6 li.folder:hover ul.level7, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level7 li.folder:hover ul.level8, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level8 li.folder:hover ul.level9, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level0 li.folder:hover ul.level1, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level1 li.folder:hover ul.level2, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level2 li.folder:hover ul.level3, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level3 li.folder:hover ul.level4, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level4 li.folder:hover ul.level5, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level5 li.folder:hover ul.level6, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level6 li.folder:hover ul.level7, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level7 li.folder:hover ul.level8, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level8 li.folder:hover ul.level9 { display:block; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level0, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level0 { -moz-opacity: 0.8; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level1, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level1 { top: 20px; left: 0px; } table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level2, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level3, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level4, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level5, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level6, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level7, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level8, table.moduletable div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level9, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level2, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level3, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level4, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level5, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level6, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level7, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level8, div.module div#mainmenu1lxmenupro ul.level9 { top: 0px; left: 190px; }

#mainmenu1_menu { display: none; }

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Beaujolais Nouveau: History Behind the Third Thursday in November

Monday, February 06 2012

Beaujolais Nouveau: History Behind the Third Thursday in November

Written by Brad Prescott
Please understand by posting this article I am in no way implying Beaujolais Nouveau is a Five Star Wine. However, the annual launching of this marginal wine at best, must be considered an epic marketing coup for it's producers. Seldom does any product receive so much international attention year after year, with the furry of distribution and have so little to offer ultimately to the consumer. On the positive side, I suppose it is the event we are celebrating, not the product. I can't remember a year when we didn't purchase a case within a few days of its arrival here in the US. Then this entire case is always consumed by Christmas. No one ever comments on the quality of the wine, they just drink it like egg-nog as if it is a holiday requirement. So, it is for this reason I even mention the wine in the first place, but then consider the Holidays without Beaujolais Nouveau, why, it would be like not having uncle Harry snoring on the couch all day Christmas. MrFiveStar At one past midnight on the third Thursday of each November, from little villages and towns like Romanèche-Thorins, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun. By the time it is over, over 65 million bottles, nearly half of the region's total annual production, will be distributed and drunk around the world. It has become a worldwide race to be the first to serve to this new wine of the harvest. In doing so, it has been carried by motorcycle, balloon, truck, helicopter, Concorde jet, elephant, runners and rickshaws to get it to its final destination. It is amazing to realize that just weeks before this wine was a cluster of grapes in a growers vineyard. But by an expeditious harvest, a rapid fermentation, and a speedy bottling, all is ready at the midnight hour. By French law, Beaujolais Nouveau is to be released no earlier than the third Thursday of November. Beaujolais Nouveau began as a local phenomenon in the local bars, cafes, and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons. Each fall the new Beaujolais would arrive with much fanfare. In pitchers filled from the growers barrels, wine was drunk by an eager population. It was wine made fast to drink while the better Beaujolais was taking a more leisurely course. Eventually, the government stepped into regulate the sale of all this quickly transported, free-flowing wine. In 1938 regulations and restrictions were put in place to restrict the where, when, and how of all this carrying on. After the war years, in 1951, these regulations were revoked by the region's governing body, the Union Interprofessional des Vins de Beaujolais (UIVB), and the Beaujolais Nouveau was officially recognized. The official release date was set for November 15th. Beaujolais Nouveau was officially born. By this time, what was just a local tradition had gained so much popularity that the news of it reached Paris. The race was born. It wasn't long thereafter that the word spilled out of France and around the world. In 1985, the date was again changed, this time to the third Thursday of November tying it to a weekend and making the celebration complete. But wherever the new Beaujolais went, importers had to agree not to sell it before midnight on the third Thursday of November. On a more technical note, the wine is strictly speaking, more properly termed Beaujolais Primeur. By French and European rules, a wine released during the period between its harvest and a date in the following spring, is termed primeur. A wine released during the period between its own and the following years harvest, is termed nouveau. Well, enough of that! It is a triumph of marketing and promotion, mostly due to the efforts of Georges Dubeuf. The largest negociant in the region, he is a tireless promoter of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau. More than a fifth of his annual production, about 4 million bottles, is Beaujolais Nouveau. All in all, in the last 45 years, sales have risen from around a million bottles to more than 70 million bottles. 10 Fascinating Facts About Beaujolais Nouveau Click here! Now read this! Stay away from that Beaujolais Nouveau, sucker Click here! Apart from the fanfare, what makes Beaujolais Nouveau so popular? And especially in the U.S. where consumption of red wine is less than 30%? Simply put, Beaujolais Nouveau is as about as close to white wine as a red wine can get. Due to the way it is made -the must is pressed early after only three days- the phenolic compounds, in particular the astringent tannins, normally found in red wines, isn't there, leaving an easy to drink, fruity wine. This, coupled with the fact that it tastes best when chilled, makes for a festive wine to be gulped rather than sipped, enjoyed in high spirits rather than critiqued. As a side note, it makes a great transitional wine for anyone wanting to move from white to red wines. Finally, the race from grape to glass may be silly, but half the fun is knowing that on the same night, in homes, cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and bistros around the world, the same celebration is taking place. It hasn't the pedigree to be a classic wine, but it is always good. Any other opinion you may regard as boorish and uninformed.
Last Updated ( Monday, 24 November 2008 )