With a new location this year, the Fresno State Winery‘s annual Le Vin Nouveau celebration on Thursday, Nov. 17 at Madera’s Appellation: California, ushered in the 1911 vintage with a winetasting, complementary food and dancing.

The annual event observes the French tradition of releasing the first wine made from the current year’s just-harvested grapes on the third Thursday of November. In the United States, the tradition was renewed several decades ago, bringing new wines to market just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Fresno State viticulture and enology students and winemaker John Giannini unveiled two wines from their 2011 vintage made in the light, fruity Beaujolais Nouveau style:

  • 2011 Nouveau Rouge – Described by Giannini as “a very aromatic, medium bodied wine that has candied fruit aromas with cherry and plum flavors with bright acidity.”
  • 2011 Nouveau BlancHoneysuckle and fruity aromas with melon and lemon flavors. This wine is best served chilled,” said Gianini.

Both of the Nouveau wines pair well with traditional holiday foods, added Giannini.

The new venue for the event, at which the students who helped make the 2011 wines poured the samples and talked with people in attendance, is Appellation: California, a 200-acre vineyard and winetasting and events center at 32749 Avenue 7, south of Madera.

It is owned and operated by Fresno State alumnus Darren Schmall as a tasting facility convenient to travelers on Highway 99. Appellation: California pours samples from more than 25 local wineries.

All Fresno State Wines are available at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market (Barstow and Chestnut avenues). Limited selections are available at Costco, Save Mart Supermarkets and other retailers in the Fresno area.

For more information, contact Jennifer Sobieralski, enterprise marketing and Gibson Farm Market manager, at 559.278.4867 or jsobieralski@csufresno.edu.

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