November 15th will mark the release of the 2001 Beaujolais Nouveau.

Beaujolais Nouveau is a young, fruity wine which is made from Gamay grapes picked only two months ago. It's release each year is a celebration of the completion of the year's harvest. But did you know that according to French law Beaujolais Nouveau cannot be sold until after midnight, Paris time, on the third Thursday of November?

Beaujolais Nouveau is commonly served at Thanksgiving both because of the timing of its release and its compatibility with turkey and the other traditional accompaniments.

Bottles purchased during the first week of release tend to be a bit more expensive because the shipments are flown in from France. By the second week, the first boat shipments arrive and prices tend to drop a bit.

--- © Chef Raven