Harvest has begun and the new vintage is in the making. If you haven't had the pleasure of being in wine country during harvest, you've missed a very exciting event. When to pick is a science, as any viticulturist will be quick to point out. Things like brix (sugar content of the grape), temperature, and moisture at harvest are extremely important and can mean the difference between a mediocre and a good vintage. I know; you're asking what does all this have to do with recommending a wine?

Well, wine is history. And this one bears a little study. The French in an area north of Lyon between the Burgundy and Rhone valleys known as the Beaujolais AOC, celebrate harvest each year with the release of the new vintage called Beaujolais nouveau on the third Thursday of November after harvest. The wine is produce from the Gamay grape, which has a thin skin and few tannins. For those of you, who like all the technical jargon, the grapes undergo carbonic maceration. Whole grape clusters are placed in a tank and carbon dioxide from the fermentation breaks down the skins of the grapes. For the rest of us, all you have to remember is the resulting wine is fruity without much tannin (for Lea, the stuff that makes you pucker).

History doesn't revel exactly how it came about that Beaujolais nouveau is released just in time for our Thanksgiving celebration. However, since the French tradition predates our Thanksgiving, I prefer to think that the first Americans timed our celebration to coincide with theirs. Smart Pilgrims!

Beaujolais nouveau pairs well with the traditional turkey or ham. So, mark your calendars now and pick up a bottle this Thanksgiving. You may even want to pick up a second bottle for that good ol' Texas BBQ next summer (it goes greet with BBQ). But remember, Beaujolais nouveau is meant to be consumed young, within three years, to ensure quality. You should be able to find it at most wine shops, HEB, Spec's, or on-line at wine-searcher.com and it usually retails for under $10. So my friends raise you glass and Santé! Au revoir!