When did Beaujolais Day start?

Question

You know, they whole "third Thursday in November party" thing when the new Beaujolais is released. What year did that start?

Answer 1

The festivities surrounding the release of the new vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau are based on a longstanding local custom in the bars of Lyons.

Going futher back, if I'm not mistaken, the Nouveau wine was originally intended as a bonus for the peasants and vineyard workers. People would delight and celebrate on the day of release by filling pitchers full of wine directly out of the barrels.

Nowadays, the release of the Nouveau vintage each year is a huge marketing success story. At midnight every year on the third Thursday of November, every major wine retailer around the world proudly posts their "Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrive" signs, sometimes to big line-ups.

The date of release had historically varied, but in 1985 the French government fixed the date on the third Thursday of November. This allowed retailers to maximize profits because it was close to the weekend. Internationally, the date makes business sense because of its proximity to Thanksgiving.

Just another excuse to party, and another coordinated marketing scheme to boost wine sales! Cheers!

Answer 2

Must be new I have never celebrated or heard of it! Maybe it's this Thursday!