Happy beaujolais nouveau day!

It’s almost time - soon it’s the third Thursday in November! Next week marks an exciting day for fans of young French red wines, as it’s almost beaujolais nouveau day.

In the last few weeks, the 2026 grape harvest from the Beaujolais region of western France has been turned into a light, fruity red wine, and millions of bottles are already on their way to retailers worldwide. But, as in every year, it's not until the third Thursday in November that beaujolais nouveau is finally released for sale.

The heat of this summer and hailstorms in mid-July have meant a reduced crop, but the quality of the wines is likely to be excellent, and the 2026 may well be at the richer, darker end of the nouveau style compared with cooler, damper years.

All the red wines of the region are made from just one grape variety, gamay, which is related to pinot noir but is easier to grow, gives higher yields, and thrives on the mostly granite soils of the area. Ten named villages make serious reds worth discovering—but beaujolais nouveau is for fun and friends.

Bubble Brothers in Cork city work with Julien Matray, winemaker at Domaine du Père Jean on the slopes of Mont Brouilly in the northern half of the region. His nouveau is classified as a Beaujolais-Villages—it's a juicy, moreish light red with typical cherry and red fruit flavours, but it will age for longer than a simple beaujolais and develop for two years or more. Served cool, it's a very versatile choice, well worth keeping in mind for seasonal easy drinking.

Enjoy the beaujolais nouveau buzz, and get a taste of 2026 while it's new, at one of the many events in Cork.

Buy from Bubble Brothers online and in the English Market, or look out for the Père Jean Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau at Isaac's or Thompson's in MacCurtain Street. But not until Thursday 19 November!