Each year, the Saint Louis–Lyon Sister Cities Committee sponsors a fun-filled evening featuring a multi-course French meal accompanied by the year’s Beaujolais Nouveau and a selection of other wines from the Beaujolais region.

Photo by Black Tie

Delegates from St. Louis and Lyon are currently participating in a series of discussions termed “Waging Peace,” a two-year interaction on the topic of immigrant assimilation into communities. Local restaurants, hotels, and retail establishments have donated gifts and gift certificates as attendance prizes adding to the festivity of the Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau. Tickets can be purchased for $140 per person.

History
According to legend, as Caesar’s army crossed the Alps and marched into Gaul in the first century B.C., troops planted grapevines along the way. When they left, their vines remained and prospered as they do today.

Just outside Lyon is the Beaujolais region, the birthplace of some of France’s most delicious wines. All the grapes in the Beaujolais region must be picked by hand. These are the only vineyards, along with Champagne, where hand-harvesting is mandatory.

The light and fruity Beaujolais Nouveau is ready for drinking just six to eight weeks after harvesting. In a special fermentation process known as carbonic maceration, the Gamay grapes of Beaujolais Nouveau are not crushed but fermented whole. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.