What is a vin primeur?
Both primeur and nouveau refer to juice from a very recent harvest. These nectars are young. The distinction is really a matter of regulation and language. To be described as a vin primeur, a wine has to be bottled before the spring of the following year. Most of the time this means that it will be bottled shortly after the harvest.
More importantly, primeur refers to a wine from an AOC wine region, like Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages. But there are other AOC regions, and many of them also have a provision for vin primeur. In Touraine, for example, the third Thursday in November is marked by the emergence of another fruity nectar born from the most recent harvest. For years, the arrival of the annual Touraine Primeur has been accompanied by a wide variety of celebrations.
However, it is important to avoid confusion with Bordeaux wines that are sold "en primeur" in the early spring. A tradition that has given rise to another meaning for "vin primeur." The wines from Bordeaux vineyards, which are tasted by experts during this period, do not reach the market for at least another two years.
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