The only time in the entire wine year when a release date is set by law, albeit French law, is today. Today, the third Thursday in November, is the release date for Beaujolais Nouveau, or new Beaujolais. Bottles of the wine will be available everywhere today. They were not available yesterday, in accordance with the laws in Beaujolais, which is located south of Burgundy in the eastern part of France –– not that we are bound by French law, but some respect is reasonable.
So why should you, an erudite, cultured, urbane soul, care about Beaujolais today when you never give the wine a second glance at any other time during the year? Because the wine is fun, the release is a cause to enjoy it, the flavors are fresh, and the whole package pairs nicely with holiday fare. It’s not expensive, and it’s a good story.
The main Beaujolais producers –– and I think the only label we will see in this market is Georges DuBoeuf –– want you to enjoy their product, even though it is most certainly not their best work. After all, the wine, made from the Gamay grape, was on the vine in the field a mere 60 days ago. Now it’s in a bottle in New Orleans, not exactly a ringing endorsement of the “let the wine age a bit” school of wine enjoyment.
But the “ageability” of the wine is not the issue. It had better not be the issue: The wine will not last in a decent form after 18 months.
Anyway, try some. If you are an experienced and knowledgeable wine drinker, quit being a stick in the mud. Really enjoy simple wine for a change, one that does not require a furrowed brow. If you are just getting into wine, slurp this stuff down. It offers a fresh, clean taste and a fruity, floral aroma. The bonus is it’s not expensive.
Who doesn’t love this time of year?
Oh, sure, it’s stressful because setting a grand Thanksgiving holiday table is stressful. And yes, you have to tolerate all those relatives with whom you have nothing in common any more, plus they remember you from every negative thing that ever happened in your life.
Then there are the demands to satisfy every attendee at The Feast, each with his or her own ideas on how to prepare every dish, which is not the way you are doing it, and with his or her own set notions as to what he or she can or will eat from your kitchen. This year, we even have the added pressure of a Saints game in the middle of the afternoon. In past years, we watched the football game, but the outcome of a Dallas-Detroit game really was not important or compelling. Dallas and the Saints –– now that’s a game we can really care about.
In the middle of it all, that nagging thought about “Why the hell am I doing this?” enters the picture, so it’s best to get started on drinking early in the day, and don’t stop.
This being New Orleans –– and I don’t buy into what a half-dozen other towns claim –– we make the best Bloody Marys anywhere. We are not afraid of fresh horseradish, and we make hot sauces like no one else. Start there.

If you have an aversion to acid, then consider the honorable Bloody Mary substitute, Brandy Milk Punch. Another New Orleans favorite, Brandy Milk Punch is not made with bourbon but rather brandy. It’s a nice drink, particularly if you had a “stressful” night before.
Now comes the fun part: a table full of guests, friends, family, every one with different tastes in wine. Some like sweet. Some like dry. Some are partial to sparkling while others won’t touch a wine with bubbles.
Do the right thing. Have another drink.
After that, put out a variety of wines. Don’t force all of your guests to share in one style of wine. Bring out a nice Riesling, a solid chardonnay, a proper pinot noir, and then a big merlot or cabernet sauvignon, which really don’t fit into the general taste profile of a Thanksgiving dinner, but you are going for Host(ess) of the Year honors, so this is not about denying your guests their pleasures.
As for the Riesling, I recommend something from Washington state. These American styles tend to be drier, bending more toward a ripe expression of the fruit and not so cloying as some of their Old World brethren. Chardonnays from the Russian River in California’s Sonoma County are great year-in-year-out.
Pinot noir presents many opportunities. Obviously for palates that appreciate such expenditures of cash, wines from the Côtes de Nuits in Burgundy are without equal, but if there is not that level of appreciation in the room, seek out pinots from Santa Barbara, Calif., or from the area around McMinnville, Ore. You might even consider a pinot noir from Central Otago on New Zealand’s South Island.
With merlot, you are back to the Old World/New World issue again. The merlots from Pomerol on the Right Bank in Bordeaux are really grand –– and priced accordingly. For early approachability from time of harvest, there are some dandy wines that hail from Napa, and with merlot, the pricing is not so high as the cabernet sauvignon.
The cabernet sauvignon, well, what should we say here? Some people just want to drink a big monster from Napa or Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. Don’t stand in their way. But these are truly not food wines. Too many tannins. Too much alcohol. Still, if you know a guest has a favorite, indulge him or her up to a point. Maybe have only one bottle of these wines, and when it’s gone, oops. Offer to move onto something else.
A great all-purpose wine, and it comes in both white and red –– can you guess? Hint: It’s always festive … Yes, you are right: sparkling wine and champagne.
Sparkling wine and champagne (only champagne comes from Champagne, France; all other sparkling wine, including wines with bubbles from other regions in France, are properly called “sparkling wine”) are perfect because they have great acid structure, which means they go well with food; are lower in alcohol than regular still wines, which means you can enjoy them more and more of them; are festive (who can have a glass of wine with bubbles and not feel happy? ); and come in many levels of cost.
Lower cost sparkling wines from Spain (cavas) and Italy (proseccos) are great values, usually under $15. American sparkling wine from Carneros and Anderson Valley in California are around $20 to $22.
This may not be a good time to try to change your guests’ drinking preferences, but rosés with bubbles are terrific. There are a few on the shelves that are good values, but in general, rosé is a bit pricier than its counterpart.
However, rosé sparkling wine and champagne are absolutely perfect for every phase of the meal. They are festive to begin and then move through the salad course and onto the main event, easily pairing with whatever sweet is coming at the end.
All the wines noted can be served to your guests, and they will make everyone happy. Good grief, there is something here that will surely please everyone.
I have not addressed the theme of spirits at Thanksgiving. Again, your guests should be made to feel welcome in your home at this time of year, and usually people have specific preferences, usually by label, when it comes to spirits. These preferences are often arrived at by a variety of factors, none of which have anything to do with taste or logic. Please don’t tell them I said that, but if you are interested, I’ll bet we can prove that point. (But not now.)
You probably know these preferences, and you should do your best within reason and budget to please. This is not the moment to have that discussion for the 37th time as to why Johnnie Walker scotch, any color label, and Diet Coke are not a good mix for a grown man.
If you want to do something classy, finish your great meal with a rewarding port or cognac. Be guided by the price and how much you think your guests will appreciate the really “good stuff.” That’s a technical term, only to be used by professionals. Please don’t use it on an amateur basis.
In short, maybe the Friday after Thanksgiving, when you are enjoying those sandwiches and Tante Ilene’s cranberry surprise, is the time to pull back a bit, economically. As far as beverages are concerned, nothing really goes with that anyway except Pepto Bismol.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and Geaux Saints!