6 local shops where you can find Beaujolais Noveau on November 21

Written by Ben Pierce

The third Thursday of November marks the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau—a fermented wine traditionally released from the Beaujolais region of France.

To ring in the occasion, we’ve created a list of six Birmingham-area wine shops stocked and ready to help you toast to this special day.

About Beaujolais Nouveau

Traditionally, wine makers from the Beaujolais region of France release these recently fermented Nouveau wines, pressed as recently as September, as a celebration of the harvest. These are rarely complex offerings, but for some it’s a sneak peek at the vintage. For all, it’s a toast to a year’s farming and its promised result; a Christmas present opened on Christmas Eve. 

The Nouveaus are pleasant and easy to drink. My family sipped them on Thanksgiving afternoon while the turkey took longer to cook than pound-per-hour calculations promised. My friends and I also held tasting parties where we’d pretend to remember the previous year’s bottling and make comparisons. 

If you’re looking for an excuse for conviviality, consider a few bottles and call some friends.

1. Golden Age Wine

Golden Age Wine’s practice is to stock only organic wines, and most Beaujolais Nouveau do not fit that profile so they will not be carrying the Nouveau itself, but they’re tremendous fans of the region. They will be marking the days surrounding the Nouveau release, as they have in the past, with a three-day celebration.

Owners Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart just got back from the Beaujolais AOC, spending time with growers and winemakers. It was a hard growing year, according to those they spoke with.

Hail and other frustrations had to be dealt with, so the theme of Golden Age Wine’s celebration from November 19 to 21 is “Bon Courage”—a slogan found over doorways and other conspicuous locations at the wineries they visited. 

Multiple flights other than Nouveau bottlings from Beaujolais will be available during the celebration at Golden Age Wine’s Mountain Brook and Downtown locations. Expect 60 or more wines from the region.

• Visit Golden Age Wines: 2021 2nd Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203 | 2828 Culver Rd, Mountain Brook, AL 35223

2. Piggly Wiggly Crestline 

Scott Atkinson credits fellow Piggly Wiggly Crestline wine consultant Jerome Crawford with opening his eyes to an added benefit of Beaujolais Nouveau and the excitement surrounding its release: The simple, young Nouveau keeps the Beaujolais appellation in discussions and opens conversational doors.

Piggly Wiggly will have Beaujolais Nouveau in shop on Thursday, November 21, but be sure to ask about other regional offerings.

Atkinson, Crawford, and others will be happy to show you a more comprehensive selection with complex and subtle wines.

• Visit Piggly Wiggly Crestline: 41 Church St, Mountain Brook, AL 35213

3. Classic Wine Company

Classic Wine Company, a treasured presence in downtown Homewood since 1988, will also be offering Nouveau on Thursday. 

Owner Josh Terrell smiles conspiratorially when asked about the region, like he’s letting me in on a secret he’s happy to share.

“You can find Beaujolais that are of really high quality, serious wines. When people think Beaujolais Nouveau, the mindset is fun. But you can find great Beaujolais year round. Especially in the fall during tailgating season, you don’t get tired of drinking it.”

He shows me a sign with a quote from Kermit Lynch’s book Adventures on the Wine Route. It says, “Beaujolais should not be a civilized society lady; it is the one-night stand of wines.” 

• Visit Classic Wine Company: 1831 28th Ave S, #110, Birmingham, AL 35209

4. Finch Fine Wine

Finch Fine Wines owner Nate Dauphin confirmed they will be selling a few bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau on November 21.

“Beaujolais Nouveau is a wine intended for early consumption as they do not age particularly well. The wine’s function and purpose is to provide thirst-quenching enjoyment to all and reflect on the successes of that year’s harvest. It is a festive beverage centered around gratitude and enjoyment with others.

Nate Dauphin, Owner, Finch Fine Wines

Here are a few ways Dauphin describes the wine:

• Inexpensive
• Light-bodied with fruity + floral characteristics
• Contain lower alcohol levels
• Hint of bubblegum (in some), which can be attributed to the carbonic maceration technique used

• Visit Finch Fine Wines: 2737 US-280 Suite 144, Mountain Brook, AL 35223

5. The Vintage Wine Shoppe

The Vintage Wine Shoppe will have bottles of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau open for tasting on Thursday from 4:00 to 5:30. 

This is a perfect time to duck out of 280 traffic and spend a spell with a touch of wine and a charming staff happy to answer and recommend. 

While tasting, look around. Vintage stocks an abundance of olive oils, tapenades, chutney, and gourmet foods. Thanksgiving is coming. Take the opportunity to check a few things off your list: cracker tray needs, charcuterie accouterments, and if you’re particularly on the ball you might get a jump start on stuffing a stocking. 

• Visit The Vintage Wine Shoppe: 201 Cahaba Park Cir, Birmingham, AL 35242

6. Red or White Birmingham

Forest Park’s Red or White will have bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau in the wine shop. Additionally, for one night between the hours of 3:00 and 8:30 – the third Thursday in November exclusively – they’ll be serving it by the glass in their wine bar which, if you’ve never been, is a wonderful spot to sip and watch homeward traffic pass.

“Here in the US, it’s really nice that Beaujolais Nouveau Day always falls a week before Thanksgiving because the wine is always juicy, light, and easy-drinking so it pairs really well with food, especially turkey. And I think it’s fun for people because it’s like a sneak peak of the 2024 vintage in that region of France.”  

Adair Messer, Manager, Red or White

•  Visit Red or White Birmingham: 3916 Clairmont Ave, Birmingham, AL 35222

Ready to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau on Thursday, November 21? Pick up a bottle and give it a try!

Follow Bham Now on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn and sign up for our FREE newsletter to stay updated on the latest exciting news in The Magic City.