By Amy Simmons
Enquirer contributor

As Thanksgiving and Christmas sales and promotions gear up, wine fans can take heart at the coming of their annual holiday - the release of the year's beaujolais nouveau.

Love it or hate it, beaujolais nouveau is perhaps the most-marketed wine event of the year for retailers, distributors, restaurants and, of course, wine writers.

The hoopla centers around the third Thursday in November, the date stores may begin selling the French wine. That day - Nov. 21 this year - restaurants and stores will begin offering the fruity young wine, along with tastings and special promotions. (Mount Adams kicks off its three-day beaujolais nouveau celebration the next day.)

There are a number of small and large wineries producing beaujolais nouveau. When shopping, look for the nouveau standard-bearers, such as Georges Duboeuf and Joseph Drouhin. But ask the store's staff for recommendations and, of course, taste for yourself.

If you are not yet a red wine fan, there's still hope - and it comes in the form of beaujolais nouveau. With its affordable pricing (most cost $8-$12 per bottle), this wine is soft and light with friendly fruit. It's a great introductory red wine and complements a lot of food, including appetizers and some fish.

Beaujolais nouveau is meant to be enjoyed slightly chilled and young (within six months of bottling), so save the cellar space for something else that will warrant the time.

Beaujolais nouveau is made from 100 percent gamay grapes from the Beaujolais area of Burgundy region in France. Gamay is one of two grape varieties that originate in Burgundy. Gamay grapes also are grown in California and, in fact, some California wineries make their version of this young wine, often called "gamay nouveau.''

Gamay's more expensive cousin is the pinot noir grape used by winemakers to make Burgundy's renowned wines. While these grapes share the same geographical parents, they are an odd couple. Gamay is the friendly, easy-going companion to the more complicated but enticing pinot noir.

Shoppers may recall seeing beaujolais throughout the year. Non-nouveau (or new) beaujolais is available year-round - a friendly wine for picnics or casual drinking. Depending on your budget, there are several tiers of the wine from which to choose - Beaujolais (least expensive), Beaujolais-Villages and Cru Beaujolais (most expensive). For everyday enjoyment, my vote is for the mid-priced Beaujolais-Villages from one of the major producers, such as Duboeuf or Louis Jadot.

While Beaujolais is one of my favorites, there are a number of others that I prefer with Thanksgiving dinner. We'll cover those in our next column. Until then, if you have any Thanksgiving favorites, send them on to me.

Contact Amy Simmons by e-mail: asimmons@deskey.com or send questions and comments c/o the Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202.