Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 in Paris: Where to Celebrate & What to Know
Every November, on the same Thursday, corks start popping in wine bars and bistros all over France. Chalkboards outside cafés announce the news in big letters, and Parisians crowd around zinc counters to taste the first wine of the year's harvest. This is Beaujolais Nouveau day, one of the most cheerful wine traditions in France, and Paris is one of the best places in the world to celebrate it.
Here's everything you need to know about Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 in Paris: the date, what the wine actually is, where to celebrate it, and how to turn it into a memorable evening.
When Is Beaujolais Nouveau 2026?
Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 is released on Thursday, November 19, 2026. The date follows a simple rule that has been fixed since 1985: the wine is released on the third Thursday of November every year. Not a day earlier, and no wine shop or bistro is allowed to serve it before then.
The new wine officially goes on sale just after midnight, which is why some bars in Paris open their first bottles late on Wednesday night. Most celebrations, though, happen on the Thursday evening itself, and the festive mood often carries on through the weekend.
If you're planning ahead, Beaujolais Nouveau 2027 will be released on Thursday, November 18, 2027.
What Is Beaujolais Nouveau?
Beaujolais Nouveau is a young red wine, released just a few weeks after the grapes are picked. In French it's called a vin primeur, meaning a wine made to be drunk early rather than aged. Most red wines spend months or years in barrels and bottles before they reach your glass. Beaujolais Nouveau goes from vineyard to table in a matter of weeks.
Where It Comes From
The wine comes from the Beaujolais region, just north of Lyon and south of Burgundy. It is made from a single grape variety, Gamay, which produces light, juicy, low-tannin red wines. You may already know Gamay from Paris itself: it's one of the grapes grown at the Clos Montmartre, the small working vineyard on the hill of Montmartre that we wrote about in our guide to the Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival.
How It's Made
To get a wine ready this quickly, winemakers use a fast fermentation method in which whole grape bunches ferment inside sealed tanks. The process brings out bright, fresh fruit flavors and keeps bitterness low. The result is a wine that is easy to drink, even for people who don't usually like red wine.
What It Tastes Like
Beaujolais Nouveau is light, fruity and very fresh. Depending on the year, people describe notes of banana, red fruit or hazelnut, and the taste changes from one vintage to the next. That's part of the fun: every November, wine lovers gather to find out what the new year's wine tastes like.
It's worth knowing that Beaujolais Nouveau is different from the region's more serious wines, like Morgon, Fleurie or Moulin-à-Vent. Those are made to age and have more depth. Beaujolais Nouveau is about celebration, not complexity.
Is Beaujolais Nouveau Any Good?
It depends on what you expect. Wine critics have long had mixed feelings about it, and some years are better than others. If you're looking for a complex wine to analyze, this isn't it. But that was never the idea. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be fresh, easy and shared, a way of celebrating the end of the harvest rather than a wine to judge. Many Parisians treat the night less as a tasting and more as a reason to meet friends at their local bistro.
A good approach is to try two or three different producers on the night. The differences can be surprising, and you'll quickly find the style you prefer.
A Short History of Beaujolais Nouveau Day
The tradition goes back to 1951, when Beaujolais winemakers were allowed to release part of their new wine before the usual date. For decades, it was a local celebration: winemakers, bistro owners and regulars toasting the end of the harvest.
In the following decades, winemakers and merchants turned it into an international event, with a race to get the first bottles to Paris, then to London, New York and Tokyo. Bistros put up signs announcing that the new Beaujolais had arrived, and the slogan became famous around the world. In 1985, the release date was fixed to the third Thursday of November, and it has stayed that way ever since.
Today, Beaujolais Nouveau day is celebrated far beyond France. But Paris, with its bistros and wine cellars, is still one of the best places to experience it the traditional way.
How Paris Celebrates Beaujolais Nouveau
In Paris, Beaujolais Nouveau isn't one big official event. It's a celebration that happens in hundreds of places at once. The official Paris tourism office describes how the new wine is welcomed in wine cellars and bistros across the city, with tastings, special menus and festive evenings.
On the night itself, expect:
Chalkboards outside cafés announcing that the new Beaujolais has arrived
Crowded wine bars, with people spilling onto the pavement despite the November cold
Special menus in bistros, usually with charcuterie, cheese and hearty French classics
Wine shops (caves) offering tastings of several Beaujolais Nouveau producers side by side
It's a relaxed, sociable evening. You don't need to be a wine expert, and nobody expects you to be one.
Where to Celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau in Paris
Wine Bars and Bistros
The heart of the celebration is the classic Parisian bistro. Almost every neighborhood bistro and wine bar will be pouring Beaujolais Nouveau on November 19, so the best option is often simply the one closest to you. Among the places the Paris tourism office recommends for tasting the new wine is Les Noces de Jeannette, at 14 rue Favart, near the Opéra Comique in the 2nd arrondissement.
Our tip: book a table in advance if you want to eat, especially in popular neighborhoods. Many bistros are full on the night.
Montmartre
For the most atmospheric celebration, head up to Montmartre. The neighborhood already has a strong wine tradition, with its own vineyard and its harvest festival every October. The Paris tourism office lists La Bonne Franquette, at 2 rue des Saules, among its recommended addresses to taste Beaujolais Nouveau. It's just a short walk from the Clos Montmartre vineyard and Place du Tertre.
Montmartre's narrow streets, old cabarets and village-style squares make it a perfect setting for a glass of new wine on a November evening.
Seine River Cruises
Several boat companies organize Beaujolais Nouveau cruises on the Seine on the evening of November 19. These are usually one-hour cruises with tastings on board and views of Paris's monuments lit up at night. Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf, for example, has announced two departures, at 6:45 pm and 8:15 pm, with unlimited tasting of three Beaujolais Nouveau wines. Canauxrama also runs a one-hour tasting cruise that evening. Booking ahead is essential.
The Vedettes du Pont Neuf leave from the tip of the Île de la Cité, right in the historic center of Paris, which you can explore earlier in the day on our Paris City Center walking tour.
Wine Shops (Caves à Vin)
If you'd rather taste than party, visit a neighborhood cave à vin. Many wine shops open bottles from several Beaujolais producers on release day, so you can compare different styles of the new vintage. It's also the easiest way to bring a bottle back to your hotel or apartment.
How to Drink Beaujolais Nouveau Like a Parisian
Serve it slightly chilled. Beaujolais Nouveau tastes best at around 12°C, a little cooler than room temperature. A few minutes in the fridge is enough.
Drink it young. This wine isn't made for your cellar. Drink it in the weeks after its release, and at the latest before spring.
Pair it with simple food. It works beautifully with charcuterie, cheese, terrines and fresh bread. Think of it as a wine for sharing, not for formal dinners.
Don't overthink it. The point of Beaujolais Nouveau is the celebration itself: the first wine of the year, shared with friends.
Make an Evening of It in Montmartre
Beaujolais Nouveau day falls on a Thursday, which makes it easy to build a whole day around it. One of the best ways to spend it is in Montmartre.
Start in the afternoon with a walking tour of the hill. Our free Montmartre walking tour takes you from the Moulin Rouge to the Sacré-Cœur, through hidden stairways and village squares, with the stories of the artists and cabarets that shaped the neighborhood. If you're traveling as a family or a group, our Montmartre private walking tour lets you explore at your own pace with a guide just for you.
When the tour ends, you'll already be in the right neighborhood for the evening. Settle into a bistro on the hill and raise a glass to the new vintage.
If you'd like to go deeper into French wine during your stay, our Paris Wine Tasting Experience takes place in a charming wine cellar in Montmartre, where a wine connoisseur guides you through four French wines and explains the terroirs and regions behind them. It's an ideal way to understand where Beaujolais fits into the bigger picture of French wine.
Tips for Beaujolais Nouveau Night in Paris
Book ahead. Bistros, cruises and wine bars fill up fast on the third Thursday of November.
Dress warmly. Paris evenings in late November are cold, and many celebrations spill outside.
Go early or go late. Wine bars are busiest right after work, between 6 pm and 9 pm.
Use the metro. Montmartre's main stations are Abbesses (line 12) and Anvers (line 2), and both stay busy on festive evenings.
Plan the rest of your trip. If you're still deciding when to visit, our guide to the best time for a walking tour in Paris explains what to expect in each season, including November.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Beaujolais Nouveau 2026? Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 is released on Thursday, November 19, 2026. It is released every year on the third Thursday of November, a rule that has been in place since 1985.
What is Beaujolais Nouveau? Beaujolais Nouveau is a young, fruity red wine made from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region, north of Lyon. It is released just a few weeks after the harvest and is meant to be drunk young.
Where can I celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau in Paris? Most wine bars, bistros and wine shops in Paris celebrate it on the night of release. The Paris tourism office recommends places like La Bonne Franquette in Montmartre and Les Noces de Jeannette near the Opéra Comique. Several companies also run Beaujolais Nouveau cruises on the Seine that evening.
What does Beaujolais Nouveau taste like? It is light, fresh and fruity, with flavors that change from year to year. People often describe notes of banana, red fruit or hazelnut.
Should Beaujolais Nouveau be served cold? It is best served slightly chilled, at around 12°C, a little cooler than room temperature.
How long can you keep Beaujolais Nouveau? It is made to be drunk young. Enjoy it in the weeks after its release, and at the latest before spring.
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