Every year, on the third Thursday of November, chalkboards outside Paris bistros start saying the same thing: "Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!" The new Beaujolais has arrived. In 2026 that Thursday falls on 19 November, and if you're in Paris that week, it's one of the easiest local traditions to join. You don't need to know anything about wine. That's rather the point.
What is Beaujolais Nouveau?
Beaujolais Nouveau is a young red wine from the Beaujolais region, just north of Lyon. It's made from Gamay grapes and bottled only about six to eight weeks after the harvest. So the grapes you're drinking were still on the vine in early autumn.
The secret is a method called carbonic maceration: whole bunches of grapes ferment without being crushed first. The result is light, very fruity and low in tannins. Some people say they can taste banana or sweets. Others say it tastes like a party. Both camps are usually holding a second glass.
When is Beaujolais Nouveau released in 2026?
French rules set the release at 00:01 on the third Thursday of November. That makes it Thursday 19 November 2026. Before the date, it can't be sold to the public.
It wasn't always like this. Release was fixed at 15 November from 1951, and in 1985 the date moved to the third Thursday so that it always lands on the same day of the week. A Thursday, you'll notice. Very convenient for a long evening.
Why does Paris make such a fuss about it?
The story goes back to a race. Producers soon realised that getting the first bottles to Paris was great publicity, and drivers would set off from Beaujolais in the night to be first into the city. By the 1970s, the race had become a national event in France. It then spread to the rest of Europe, North America and, in the 1990s, Asia, where Japan still throws some of the biggest parties.
Not everyone in France is a fan. Some wine lovers roll their eyes at it, and "it tastes of bananas" is a common joke. But on the night itself, nobody seems to mind. It's less about the wine and more about the excuse: friends, a full bistro and the first wine of the year.
How to enjoy Beaujolais Nouveau night like a local
You don't need a ticket or a booking system. Here's how Parisians usually do it:
- Look for the signs: chalkboards and posters saying "Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé" outside bistros and wine bars.
- Go after work, from early evening, when the bars fill up and spill onto the pavement.
- Order it by the glass with something simple, like charcuterie, cheese or a plate of saucisson.
- Ask for it lightly chilled. It's best served cool, at around 13 °C (55 °F).
- Pick up a bottle from a wine shop if you'd rather toast at your hotel.
Bars and wine shops decide their own events and opening hours, so check the venue or ask your hotel before you go.
A few things to know before you raise a glass
Beaujolais Nouveau is made to be drunk now, not saved. It's meant for the coming months and doesn't get better with age, so don't carry a bottle home for a special occasion in five years. Drink it, enjoy it, and save your suitcase space for something else.
If you like the idea of Paris and wine together, here's a nice detail: Montmartre still keeps a small vineyard on its hill, and every October the neighbourhood throws a harvest festival. It's a reminder that the city once had vines growing on many of its slopes, long before it had metro lines.
Make a day of it
Beaujolais Nouveau night pairs well with a slow afternoon on foot. Walk Montmartre in the late afternoon, watch the lights come on over the city, then follow the crowd into a bistro when the chalkboards go up. If you'd like a guide to tell you the stories behind the hill, its painters and its vineyard, our Montmartre walking tour is a good place to start.
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Read next: Paris in November 2026: what's on for visitors, and Where to eat in Paris: a licensed guide's favourite tables.