GOOD OLD DAYS:

The French tradition of celebrating the harvest of Beaujolais Nouveau wine began back in the 19th century.

On the third Thursday of November, the first harvest of the light, fruity red wine was shipped to villages around the globe with banners proclaiming, “The New Beaujolais has arrived.”

It was the first wine of the harvest, and people were excited to get started.

Locally, the celebration began a few years ago, and it looks as though it might be here to stay.

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, the Five Crowns restaurant in Newport Beach, and Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa will host tasting events Thursday.

Chris Szechenyi, general manager of the Five Crowns, said most of its wine dinners are for the more serious wine connoisseurs, while the Beaujolais Nouveau event is for the wine lover who wants to have fun.

“It’s come to be a great celebration, and an opportunity for the public to see what the new vintage will taste like,” he said.

It’s a young wine that tastes best when it is chilled, a fact that distinguishes it from other red wines.

It’s not so much a wine to be critiqued as much as it is a wine to be enjoyed, and the close proximity of its arrival to the American tradition of Thanksgiving dinner also makes it an easy sell for the holiday.

The fruity wine pairs well with turkey and all the fixings, especially the cranberry sauce, Szechenyi said.

The premiere wine maker of Nouveau Beaujolais in France is Georges DuBoeuf. His website, Wine Without Rules, at www.winewithoutrules.com, details each step of his process, from harvest to shipping.

DuBoeuf is celebrating 25 years of Beaujolais Nouveau in America this year. Bruce Rabanit, beverage manager at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort, said each guest attending their dinner on Nov. 15 will receive a bottle of the DuBoeuf Beaujolais.

Both restaurants will be celebrating the French lifestyle, complete with a French accordionist playing the classics.

Menu items will include escargot, coq au vin, French cheese and pates served with several varieties of the Beaujolais.

Whether local residents celebrate at one of these locations, or decide to try the Nouveau Beaujolais in the comfort of their own homes, they won’t be drinking alone.

“Half the fun is knowing that on the same night, in homes, cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and bistros around the world, the same celebration is taking place,” Brad Prescott, owner and managing editor of Intowine.com, stated on his website.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Le Beaujolais Nouveau tasting events

WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 15

WHERE: Five Crowns restaurant, 3801 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar (949) 760-0331; The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach (949) 630-4145; Hi-Time Wine Cellars, 250 Ogle St, Costa Mesa (949) 650-8463

COST: $89 at Five Crowns; $45 at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort

INFO: Call for reservations