Respecting Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais, perhaps the world's most popular wine, goes through life as a comic's punchline; its brash and awkward youthful incarnation--Beaujolais Nouveau--gets no respect. Fun to be around, but nothing all that serious. (Eddie Murphy isn't Nelson Mandela, Wanda Sykes isn't Condi Rice, etc.) Sure, Beaujolais Nouveau provides the excuse for a great party every November--Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! It's Beaujolais Nouveau time!--but over the years, the folks who enjoy the ritual of raising a glass to the new vintage, would prefer a higher quality of wine with their three-figure din-din.
So how do you build respect? You introduce people to the wine's more prestigious siblings, according to the French-American Chamber of Commerce, organizers and beneficiaries of the annual fund-raising bash in the Pacific Northwest. The other day, they assemble a lineup of older and better wines from the Georges Duboeuf stable to match up with the feast prepared by the Westin Bellevue. A first-time venue for the gala, which moves from the downtown Fairmont to the Land of Simpler Access and Easier Parking.
First, an appreciation of the diversity among the wines, several notches above the fruity and quaffable Nouveau. They share that unmistakable quality of "Duboeuf-ness"--a distinctive richness of ripe cherries with a hint of bananas; no surprise, since it's Monsieur Duboeuf himself who selects each wine and approves each blend. (By the way, the Duboeuf website, WineWithoutRules.com, is far better than the "official" Beaujolais site.)
The oldest wine in the Bellevue tasting, a 2003 vintage from a single vineyard in Fleurie (one of the ten best Beaujolais villages), has the plummy maturity of a wine with a far more prestigious pedigree (an Amarone, say, or a fine Bordeaux). Better with the salad and the salmon, however, is a 2003 Regnié (the most recently upgraded village). A 2005 Fleurie from the Domaine des Déduits is the panel's unanimous choice to accompany the main event, a cassoulet.
Culinary expert and FACC board member Jacques Boiroux provides feedback for the Westin chefs: "crispier skin on the fish," "more endive in the salad," "larger beans (coco or canellini, rather than navy) for the cassoulet," and, while we're at it, a big oui to the recipe with a touch of tomato sauce.
Crémant with the poached pear ("more poached," says Jacques) to close the night, the brut rosé from Pierre Spaar in Alsace. Call it a sparkling sendoff from a neighbor, friend and admirer of Beaujolais. Hard work, this gourmet planning.
Beaujolais Nouveau Gala, November 16th at the Westin Bellevue. Tickets $150. 206-443-4703 or online.
