Setting and setup

For Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2008, the timing is a bit last-minute, so clean up the kitchen and the party room and be done with it. Adding twinkle lights or plenty of candles is always a festive touch. You will, of course, need to be outfitted with wine glasses and a corkscrew. Chill the wine beforehand, because Beaujolais Nouveau is served chilled–half an hour in the fridge is perfect according to the Georges DuBeoef website.

Invitations

Anyvite is the speediest way to create an electronic or mobile-friendly invite. It even lets you search flickr for cool photos (we searched “beaujolais nouveau” and came up with many good choices) or insert a photo of your own.

Food and drink

Run out on Thursday and buy some Beaujolais Nouveau, and chill it down. Your local wine merchant should be able to help you find some. George DuBeouf (pictured above at its 2005 arrival) is a commonly seen brand  in the U.S., with a price of about $7 -$8 per bottle. The company even offers Beaujolais Nouveau party planning tips and a calculator to help you figure out how much wine to buy. There are other brands too, so be adventurous and try a few. Maybe you will even want to have a mini tasting with your gal pals. The Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau, pictured at right, comes in three different, cute label designs, each depicting a fabulous destination: San Francisco, Paris and Tokyo. The company describes them as light and juicy and perfect for entertaining. In addition, their new package introduces PET plastic bottles– environmentally friendly, recyclable plastic that uses up to 50% less resources to produce and ship over from France. They are priced around $12 – $13 per bottle.

Serve a selection of French cheeses to try with your Beaujolais Nouveau. Your wine merchant, local TraderJoes or Whole Foods should be able to help you select some within your budget. If you’d like to explore further, there’s an About.com article about pairing wine and cheese here. Slice up a baguette, arrange on a cheese board or pretty serving tray, and voila!

You could also serve some tapas-style appetizers if you are inclined to spend just a bit more time in the kitchen. Check out Easy Tapas: Spanish Snacks to Serve With Cocktails for some recipes to try.