In the wine calendar, there is one particular day that is suffused with anticipation and excitement. On the third Thursday of November, every year, at precisely 12:01 am, the world is treated to the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau. And one much-loved East London wine bar, Dan’s, is hosting a full-on Big Beaujolais Party to celebrate.
Wait, sorry – what? They’re throwing a party to celebrate a… wine release? Well, sort of. It’s a signifier of the end of the harvest. It celebrates that the work is done and that (some of) the wine is ready. And the excitement around it has resulted in the Beaujolais Nouveau release being full of secrecy and seriousness, with harsh consequences for anyone who dares open their shipment ahead of the official time – ie. no Beaujolais allowance in the future!
Needless to say, it’s also a time of great celebration, where the wine world cracks open bottles a-plenty, with side-by-side comparisons from older examples, and plenty of toasting and cheers.
Dan’s
Anyone who’s visited Dan’s, or their recently opened sister site brother site Ken’s in Exmouth Market, knows that they’re all about getting rid of the stuffiness and pretentiousness of wine. Their wine menu is disarmingly simple to order from and is based on vibes rather than flower-y descriptions or obscure grape names. Ordering by the glass is as simple as choosing from such options as ‘fizz‘, ‘easy skinsy’, ‘chilled red‘, and more.
It’s this approach that makes the wine bar the ideal place to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau. But, of course, they’re going to do it in typically unique Dan’s fashion. And for this year, their second Big Beaujolais Party, they’re promising it’ll be bigger, badder, and better than ever. They’re not too bothered about the Beaujolais Nouveau, either. In their own words: “[why] settle for Nouveau when you could drink the actually decent stuff? We’re all about the actually decent stuff.”
On the night they’ll have over 20 of “the most iconic Gamays you can get your grubby paws on”. And to keep your stomach from growling as you quaff glass after glass of the red stuff, they’ll be dishing out heapings of raclette, courtesy of the folks from Jumi Cheese. And, really, is there any better way to spend these colder evenings than drinking wine and eating cheese? I don’t think so…
The Big Beaujolais Party will take place at Dan’s, 2-4 Tottenham Road, N1 4BZ. Tickets are £70 per person and are extremely limited, so act fast and buy your ticket here. The Big Beaujolais Party will take place on November 16, from 6:30pm – 11pm.