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Mussel up

mussels-at-gigis.jpgSix more months. That’s how much longer the mussels will be really good. Until next September, that is, when mussel lovers will once again embrace the nine consecutive months that contain the letter “R,” an easy way to remember the best time to order mussels.

Mussels are like the nursery rhyme: “When they’re good, they’re very, very good, and when they’re bad, they’re horrid. Well tonight, I had the very, very good ones. Chef George Telles’ Prince Edward Island mussels with tomato, onion, garlic, and chourizo, in a white wine sauce. With plenty of crusty bread to mop up every bit of that fabulous sauce.

The occasion: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivee! Yes, another wine dinner, this one at GiGi’s in Boca Raton. Actually, the mussels were paired with a Macon-Villages from Mommessin, a producer that also does a Beaujolais Nouveau. And yes, we did have plenty of Beaujolais as well. But thankfully, we didn’t have the Nouveau with all five courses.

After two Beaujolais Nouveau wine events today, I’ve had enough to last me a while. But those mussels! Next time I have a craving for mussels, I’ll go back to GiGi’s. And hopefully they’ll serve them with pommes frites, so I can pretend I’m in France. Or at least Belgium.

Wine without rules

2007.jpgHappy New Year!

You’ll have to wait 45 more days to watch the ball drop at Times Square. But you can get a head start on the revelry by celebrating New Year’s today. Because today we celebrate the New Year for wine.

Every third Thursday of November, the first wine of the vintage is released. And it’s always Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine made from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region of France. Just as we give special recognition to the first baby born in the New Year, the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau is always cause for celebration. Because only 12 weeks ago, the grapes that make up this wine were still on the vine. It’s just a baby.

Think back to your first kiss. Sweaty palms and nervous giggles. That sense of anticipation. Chances are you still remember the sweet feeling that washed over you when your lips finally met. Beaujolais Nouveau is like that. It’s fresh and juicy. Uncomplicated. Soft and supple. And ready now.

Georges Duboeuf, known as the King of Beaujolais, describes the taste of his 2007 vintage: Crisp and delicious flavors of red cherry, fresh plum and sweet pomegranate.  It’s a red wine that drinks like a white, a perfect choice for those who normally reach for a white wine. Pair it with anything from Thanksgiving turkey to Chinese take-out. Just put a little chill on the bottle first—15 minutes in the fridge will do the trick.

Duboeuf has been jetting Beaujolais Nouveau to America for 25 vintages. His labels are always fun and a little bit funky. And his wine is always approachable. At $10.99 a bottle, it’s a great excuse for a party.

To fete the 25th anniversary, Duboeuf has created a commemorative poster featuring labels from all 25 years. To snag a poster or a tee sporting the label lineup, visit winewithoutrules.com. Better yet, enter the How Do You Do Beaujolais Nouveau YouTube Video Contest. The best video wins a cool $2,000.