How to: Throw a Beaujolais nouveau party

Beaujolais nouveau party: The menu
Gallic, naturellement! A cocktail-party approach is perfect when you have many guests and want a fun, celebratory mood. The classic French charcuterie platter is a must-serve at any Beaujolais nouveau party. Charcuterie offerings typically include a couple patés, petite sausages (you could grill them the night before, refrigerate them, then re-heat in the oven the night-of), and an assortment of little savories like black olives, cornichons, mustard and breads like baguette or whole-grain peasant loaf. Make sure to prominently feature a cheese board, with an assortment of cheeses ranging from mild to… challenging, from mellow Brie to pungeant Roquefort. A nice five-cheese assortment might consist of Brie, Camembert, Morbier, Mimolette and Roquefort. Later on, a tray of madeleines, truffles or petits fours would be a sweet way to end the night. (Feel free to brew up a carafe of coffee to go-with.)

Beaujolais nouveau party: When
Schedule your party for release day if you're eager to quaff on the day of the release. Thursday is the new Friday, after all. If not, schedule your party for another early-winter night, but don't procrastinate: tradition dictates that each year's Beaujolais nouveau should be drunk before New Year's Day.

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