Beaujolais nouveau is the best unfussy celebration wine to pair with cheese
Every November, France raises a glass to one of its most playful wine traditions: Beaujolais Nouveau Day. Made from the gamay grape in the rolling hills north of Lyon, this vino defies any expectation or stereotype of French wine. Instead of spending years aging, Beaujolais nouveau is bottled and sold just weeks after harvest thanks to a winemaking technique called carbonic maceration. This method speeds up fermentation, producing fresh, fruity flavors with soft tannins. Bursting with notes of cherry, strawberry, and even hints of banana (to me, specifically banana Laffy Taffy candy), it is meant to be enjoyed immediately. But not too soon.
By French law, Beaujolais nouveau cannot be released until 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday of November. But that moment transforms what might otherwise be a humble village wine into a nationwide fete. And it just so happens, I found myself in Paris on this day last year.
In France, the release is marked by lively celebrations. Lyon, the gateway to the Beaujolais region, hosts fireworks, music, and tastings. In the town of Beaujeu, the Les Sarmentelles de Beaujeu festival features torchlit parades and barrels tapped at midnight. Posters across the country proclaim “Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!” (“The new Beaujolais has arrived!”)—a slogan that became iconic in the twentieth century thanks to clever marketing campaigns. In Paris, you will find posters on the doors and windows of many restaurants offering special menus, tastings, or prix fixe deals available only on that day.
I went to Monbleu, a cheese purveyor and restaurant specializing in over 100 French and international cheeses. They had an event for Beaujolais Nouveau Day that featured unlimited trips to a table generously laden with 25 different cheeses and pickled vegetables to pair with your wine.
Across the board, Beaujolais nouveau is more about conviviality than complexity. It is a cheerful and purposely unserious wine. It’s recognized as a bit of a gimmick, but everyone is in on it and enjoys it anyway. It’s a seasonal ritual to toast the harvest, laugh with friends, then move on to other bottles.
Because of the November timing, Beaujolais nouveau has widely become known as “Thanksgiving wine” in the States, and rightly so. Its subdued tannic structure allows for easier pairing with a variety of foods—a great companion for a holiday that centers around a meal full of eclectic dishes. This is also why it easily pairs with cheese.
For many Americans, its fruit-forward, low-tannin profile is an approachable gateway into French wine. It’s my equivalent of putting clothbound cheddar on a board with mixed or unadventurous company. Anyone will eat a cheddar without thinking twice—and when they notice something a little different, it opens a whole world of unexplored flavor.
While debates over quality and validity will continue, one thing remains certain: Beaujolais nouveau isn’t meant to be judged—it’s meant to be enjoyed. And I prefer to enjoy it with cheese.
Here are five cheeses to pair with Beaujolais nouveau this season.
Comté
American palates tend to prefer the caramel and praline notes of hard, aged cheeses but the French buy Comtè aged in months, not years. You’ll never see one younger than four months, due to AOP regulations, but six months is widely available. Try a young Comté with Beaujolais nouveau.
Ash-ripened Goat Cheese
You may not be used to pairing reds with goat cheese, but this style of wine is so light, it’s begging you to break any preconceived rules. Goat’s milk cheeses—especially ones with cream lines—are an easy, joyful match; Beaujolais nouveau’s juicy acidity highlights their bright notes.
Uplands Cheese Rush Creek Reserve
This one may be my favorite Friendsgiving cheese. It’s a gorgeous centerpiece for communal dipping of potato chips, pickled vegetables, or anything roasted—especially root vegetables. The richness of the cheese is balanced by this fruit-forward wine.
Quicke’s Mature Clothbound Cheddar
This is one of the clothbound cheddars I use as a gateway. I often pair this cheese with cherry jam, and for the same reasons, it pairs perfectly with a wine with similar notes.
Timanoix
I found this cheese on almost every casual French spread in November. For a young monastic cheese washed in walnut liqueur, it’s surprisingly unfussy and easy to pair. When paired with Beaujolais nouveau, the leathery-nutty rind almost tricks you into thinking you can taste the wine barrels, even though the wine does not age in them.
Anne-Marie Pietersma
Anne-Marie Pietersma is an actress, comedian, writer, and cheese educator based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the co-creator of the podcast "Is This a Brie?" and owner of The Cheese Basement, where she curates custom food and beverage experiences.
