It's Beaujolais nouveau season! Here are 2 ways to celebrate

The first wine of 2010

We don't have a lot of wine vineyards in Minnesota, but there's still plenty of reason to celebrate another grape harvest by opening a bottle of French Beaujolais nouveau. The first bottles of this year's vintage--meant to be drunk when it's barely off the vine--are officially introduced on the third Thursday in November. You can toast this year's Beaujolais Nouveau Day in style at two very French Twin Cities restaurants. Find out where on the following page--along with information on how you can be the first to know about events like these by signing up for City Pages' FREE dining newsletter.

Barbette in Uptown will be breaking open the Beaujolais during dinner hours from next Thursday through Monday, November 22. The restaurant is offering a four-course prix fixe menu for $32, with wine for $9.50 a glass or $36 a bottle. The menu includes French onion soup or a warm Brie tartlet with Beaujolais-poached fruit, followed by wild Oregon sole, a main course of wine-braised chicken or mascarpone and celeriac ravioli, and beignets for dessert.

Sofitel in Bloomington will be pouring free samples of Beaujolais nouveau on Thursday, with accompanying cheeses and other fare. Call 952.835.1900 for reservations and information.

You can be among the first to know of special food events like these by signing up for City Pages' dining newsletter, Twin Cities Eater, which is emailed to you free every week. In the latest issue, for example, readers learn not only about these Beaujolais nouveau events but about:

• a do-it-yourself class for chocoholics at the Minnesota History Center, with demonstrations on creative ways to make and prepare the sweet
• an exclusive wine dinner at Piccolo
• restaurant openings and closings and other news
• the week's best posts from Twin Cities food blogs
• a preview of Rachel Hutton's column in the next City Pages
• and much more.

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