Every year on the third Thursday of November, wine enthusiasts celebrate. The occasion marks a few weeks after the first harvest of Beaujolais Nouveau — the light-bodied red wine varietal native to the area — and sees locals, winemakers and fans of a good drop open a bottle in homage to the season.
A trip to Beaujolais might be a tall order on such short notice, but in lieu of a plane ticket, Potts Point wine bar La Buvette is putting a Sydney spin on the occasion. On Thursday, November 19, the neighbourhood haunt will invite customers to revel in Beaujolais’ bounty with Beaujolais Nouveau Day, a one-day-only street party that will kick off at 4pm and run until late.
Naturally, the wine list will be populated exclusively by Beaujolais, focusing on the region’s crus while also incorporating a handful of Beaujolais Blancs — a rarer white expression of the region.
“Beaujolais Nouveau Day is one of the great excuses to get together and open a few bottles, and we’ve wanted to bring our own version of it to Sydney for a while,” says Nathan Sasi, chef and co-owner of The Goodies Hospitality, which also owns Vin-Cenzo’s, Bessie’s, Bar Alma’s and Bar Copains in Sydney.
“La Buvette already has that spill-onto-the-street energy, so it felt like the right place to host it. We’re opening some really good bottles, cooking a few classic Beaujolais snacks and letting the night roll from there.”
The menu will take its cues from Beaujolais’ regional fare — a considered selection of small plates and snacks designed to hit the spot with a glass or two. A pissaladière tartlet will be garnished with Olasagasti anchovies; a potato rosti with sour cream, trout roe and chives is the perfect accompaniment to Beaujolais Nouveau’s bright acidity, while a typical Lyonnaise salad with frisée, hen’s egg and crispy guanciale will transport you straight to the rolling hills of central France.
La Buvette’s Beaujolais Nouveau Day is open to everyone — no bookings or tickets required — and there’ll be standing room inside, along with table service street-side. Santé.
For more information, visit labuvettesydney.com.
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