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| Photo via Google Image Search |
Are you looking for an excuse to get together with your pals
this week? Oui, oui! Look no further because Beaujolais Nouveau Day is upon us! Invite
the gals over for an inexpensive, wine-themed girl’s night with a little French
flair. Ooh la la!
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| Photo via Georges Duboeuf |
The cause of much revelry in France and among Francophiles
in other countries, Beaujolais Nouveau wines are traditionally released the
third Thursday of November. (This year, November 21. 2013) They are the first
wines out of harvest each year and are drunk to celebrate life and hard work.
They’re also a perfect accompaniment for a girlfriend get-together—fresh,
cheap, fruity and fun to drink. The informal, frivolous spirit surrounding
their release around the world is a great excuse to get the girls together and
celebrate!
If you’d like more background on Beaujolais Nouveau, there’s
a nice little history from the IntoWine website here.
Setting and setup
For Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2013, the timing is a bit
last-minute, so clean up the kitchen and the party room and be done with it.
Adding twinkle lights or plenty of candles is always a festive touch. You will,
of course, need to be outfitted with wine glasses and a corkscrew. Chill the
wine beforehand; because Beaujolais Nouveau is served chilled–half an hour in
the fridge is perfect according to the Georges DuBeoef website.
Invitations
Evite is
the speediest way to create an electronic or mobile-friendly invite. It has lots of fun wine design and girl’s
night out options. It even lets you
search flickr or Google image search for cool
photos (I searched “beaujolais nouveau” and came up with many good choices) or
insert a photo of your own.
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| Photo via Google Image Search |
Run out on Thursday and buy some Beaujolais Nouveau, (Bojo Nouveau wines can not be purchased before the 3rd Thursday of November, so you will have to buy them the day of!) and
chill it down. Your local wine merchant should be able to help you find some. Georges DuBeouf is a commonly seen brand in the U.S., with a
price average of $10.00 per bottle. The company even offers Beaujolais Nouveau
party planning tips and a calculator to help you figure out how much wine to
buy. There are other brands too, so be adventurous and try a few. Maybe you
will even want to have a mini tasting with your gal pals. The Mommessin
Beaujolais Nouveau, pictured at right is one of my favorites. I would describe it as light and
juicy and perfect for entertaining. It is priced around $12 – $13 per
bottle.
Serve a selection of French cheeses to try with your
Beaujolais Nouveau. Your wine merchant, local TraderJoes or Whole Foods should be able
to help you select some within your budget. If you’d like to explore further,
there’s an About.com article about pairing wine and cheese here. Slice up a baguette, arrange on a cheese board or
pretty serving tray, and voila!
You could also serve some tapas-style appetizers if
you are inclined to spend just a bit more time in the kitchen.
Connecting Activities
-Toast your girlfriends with this special girlfriend
salute:
A Toast to our Girlfriends
Here’s to our girlfriends
They keep us strong
They make us laugh the whole night long
They give us shoulders to cry on
And shoes to try on
They see our true selves
Even when we look like hell
So raise a glass to our female friends
May the fun we share never end!
- It would be fun to share some Wine and/or French trivia, learn some French phrases, or watch some French films during your Bojo Day soiree.
- You can also print this ‘What Kind of Wine areYou?’ quiz for a fun diversion.
- Or, keep the girls occupied making their own beaded wine charms. You’ll find an awesome how-to for “Ridiculously Easy” beaded wine charms on NotMartha.
Favors
If you don’t make your own wine charms at the party, buy
some as favors to give your friends. Pretty wine charms are a lovely and useful
favor, and you can find them at many discount stores or check out Etsy.com for lots of super cute options.
If nothing else, buy some bottles of Bojo Nouveau this
Thursday, Friday or Saturday, and invite some friends over to share a little
girlfriend spirit. It’s such an easy excuse for a girlfriend get-together.
Do you have some wine-related girls night ideas to share? I would love to hear them, please leave
them below.
Merci beaucoup!
Angee
