Every year on this day I pay tribute to the late Georges Duboeuf, one of the Beaujolais region’s most influential wine producers. DuBoeuf was a trailblazer and marketing genius known for turning Beaujolais Nouveau, a young, fruity wine, into a worldwide phenomenon.

In September 2018, Georges and his son Franck hosted an exceptional week for myself and three other wine writers at their family’s home in Beaujolais. Georges, a beloved and respected figure in his community, was a slight, soft-spoken man with a modest demeanor. It was Franck who told me how his father, with a genuine affection for the region’s people and its wine, had seen a unique opportunity to promote Beaujolais Nouveau as a product of the local wine culture.

Below is an excerpt from my Grape Collective article entitled, Georges Duboeuf And The Story Behind The World's Biggest Wine Party, Beaujolais Nouveau Day.

Winemakers all across the northern hemisphere are making a collective sigh of relief. November marks the end of the grape-growing season and, for most wineries, the completion of the annual harvest. The grapes have been picked, pressed and fermented and the wine is now resting comfortably in any number of vessels: stainless steel, wood, concrete, or clay. After all the hard work of the harvest season, grape growers and winemakers are now kicking back and toasting to the new vintage.
In Beaujolais, a French wine region just north of Lyon, what started out as a local growers' tradition of partying together and comparing the new wines has evolved into a global phenomenon celebrated with festivals, fireworks, and parties.
Each year, Beaujolais Nouveau (New Beaujolais) is released at 12:01 a.m on the third Thursday of November six to eight weeks after the grapes have been picked. This light and fruity wine is a result of carbonic maceration, a process in which fermentation occurs inside the uncrushed grapes. Without being given the time to develop much complexity, it's meant as an easygoing quaffer, a drink for celebrating the last fruit of the season.
Several dozen vintners make this inexpensive Gamay-based red wine. The most well-known brand is Georges Duboeuf, the largest négociant in Beaujolais. Georges Duboeuf is considered one of the marketing masterminds behind the wine.

Read more here, preferably while sipping on one of the Duboeuf Nouveau wines.