Celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau In Style
LYON, France, October 4, 2005. Rocco Forte Hotels' Ch^ateau de Bagnols is keeping with local tradition and celebrating the arrival of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau by offering guests a specially priced two-night package, valid from 15 to 18 November 2005.
Love it or hate it, Beaujolais Nouveau devotees from all over the world join in the festivities and open the first bottles of this young wine on the third Thursday of November every year, from one minute past midnight. This annual tradition began in the small towns of the Beaujolais region and the city of Lyon, where the local communities celebrated the end of harvest by drinking directly from wine producers' barrels.
It wasn't until 1951 that the wine was officially recognised and a formal release date was set in November. This year, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau will be shipped throughout the world. Part of the fun is being amongst the first in the world to sample the new wine. In the past, the race to open the first bottle has included delivery by car, motorcycle, balloon and helicopter, to name just a few!
Although not considered a sophisticated wine, the appeal of Beaujolais Nouveau lies in the simple pleasure of drinking and enjoying a fresh fruity wine that is best served slightly chilled. The grapes, which by law must be hand picked, are pressed after just three days to ensure a minimum amount of the biting tannins are released, creating its easy-to-drink nature.
Ch^ateau de Bagnols' special package will ensure guests are among the first to sample this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, as the 13th-century Ch^ateau lies in the heart of the Beaujolais region, just outside Lyon. In addition, guests will get the chance to dine in the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant and enjoy all the amenities you would expect to find at a luxury Rocco Forte Hotels property.
The lovingly-restored chateau, which has inspiring views of vineyards, forests and rolling countryside, retains many of its original features, including wall paintings, antique tapestries, furniture and the spectacular stone vaulted cellar with its original Beaujolais barrels. Many of the 21 unique bedrooms and suites have four-poster beds, with all of the bathrooms featuring luxuriously large baths.
The special two-night package includes:
. Overnight luxury accommodation
. Beaujolais and fresh fruit on arrival
. Continental Breakfast
. Dinner at the Chateau's one star Michelin restaurant "La Salle des Gardes"
. Gala Dinner on Wednesday 16th November at Beaujeu, followed by a procession, ireworks and wine tasting
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