That's right, the 2003 vintage of beaujolais nouveau was officially released yesterday. This is a wine event I can really get behind. Of course, it's hyped all out of proportion by Georges DuBoeuf, the Rich Uncle Pennybags of Beaujolais. But it's a mass-marketed wine happening - which appeals to wannabe wine snobs like me - and it's all about an eminently affordable wine - which appeals to cheapskates like me.

Beaujolais nouveau is light, grapey, young wine - it generally goes from the vine to the glass in less than three months. Under French law (obeyed throughout the world on this point), it is made available for sale on the third Thursday of November. This gives the wine barely enough time to be pressed, fermented, and bottled. The end product is one of the most drinkable reds of France.

The 2003 vintage of beuajolais nouveau, presaging the 2003 vintage of French red wines generally, was rumored to be a spectacular one. The hot, dry summer that killed thousands of French citizens had one upside: concentrating the juices of grapes on the vine. This results in a lower yield, but generates wine that is sweeter, more intense, and generally just plain delicious.

Last night I picked up two bottles of Duboeuf's Beaujolais Nouveau, one for myself and one to share with Lisa when she gets here tonight. I uncorked my bottle to enjoy with the last remnants of my wild turkey. Beaujolais Nouveau is a perfect wine to go with your Thanksgiving turkey - light enough for its poultry side, fruity and acidic enough for its gamey side - and it is conveniently available one week before Turkey day. Just make sure you chill it slightly before serving; if too warm, its fruity and floral notes will be overpowered by the acids and astringents that haven't been tamed by age.

I have to agree with the hype; this was the best beaujolais nouveau I can remember. And at $8 to $9 a bottle, you can get a case for the price of a single bottle of a trendy California cabernet. For that value, this year's beaujolais nouveau is one of the easiest wine decisions a fledgling oenophile can make.