Like many of you, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving replete with lots of family and lots of food. Recovering from this most festive and food oriented holiday is never easy. I had great wines yesterday from Spain and France, including a fantastic 1985 Burgundy from Musigny. It would be hard to top that I figured so today I decided to go in a completely different direction and sip a Beaujolais Nouveau at lunch in a French bistro. One might think that’s a shocking day after response but I think it totally appropriate. Not much is going to compare to last night’s wine so why try to go in the same direction. Beaujolais Nouveau Day is the third Thursday in November. Today’s wine was the first one I had this year. According to French law, this wine may from Gamay grapes can be released at 12:01 a.m., quite soon after the harvest. Many of quite critical of Beaujolais Nouveau and it’s fresh, fruity style. I am not among those who critique this cheerful wine. I’m not going to lay it down either but as with much of life, it’s all about expectations and as we know, that is the key to success in every area. Sante’!