Beaujolais Nouveau and the Harvest: A Wine Traveller's Autumn
Autumn is when the Beaujolais makes its wine. The grapes come in, the new wine is made, and on the third Thursday of November Beaujolais Nouveau is released everywhere at once. In 2026 that is Thursday 19 November. This guide covers what happens when, what the weather does, and which days still run. Looking for Beaujolais tickets for November? There is no ticket: you book a day in the vines.
When is Beaujolais Nouveau released in 2026?
On Thursday 19 November 2026. Inter Beaujolais releases the Nouveau every year on the third Thursday of November, and the rule does not move.
You find it that day in restaurants, bars, wine shops and wine merchants, in France and abroad. The council calls it a get-together, and says tens of millions of people taste the new vintage through it.
What is Beaujolais Nouveau?
It is the new wine of the year's vintage, made from gamay and released on that fixed Thursday. Inter Beaujolais describes the Nouveaux as juicy and bursting with fruit.
Gamay has grown here since the early 17th century, and half of the world's 30,000 hectares of it is in the Beaujolais. So the Nouveau you drink in November comes from the grape's home ground.
It is a style, not a place. The same vineyards also make wines for keeping, from the Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages appellations to the ten crus. The private crus tasting day, to the Côte de Brouilly and Fleurie, explains how the Nouveau is made.
When is the harvest?
The picking date moves with each year's weather, so no fixed date exists to plan a trip around. Ask your operator, or the Beaujolais tourist office, once your dates are close.
The tourist office sells a harvest experience of its own, called Au coeur des vendanges, in the heart of the harvest. If watching the picking matters to you, that is the place to ask.
Do the wine tours run in the autumn?
Every tour we list refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, whatever the month. The shared crus day says it runs in all weather, so dress for it.
Some private days can be cancelled by the operator for poor weather: the Land Rover day, the Signature day from 10 am and the private crus tasting day. On the Defender half day, the tasting in the vines happens weather allowing. If the weather cancels your day, you are offered another date or a refund.
What is the weather like from September to December?
The day starts in Lyon, so Lyon's weather is the one to read. Météo-France's 1991-2020 averages at Lyon-Bron give the picture.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain | Sun | For a wine day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 23.1°C | 12.8°C | 82.5 mm | 204 h | Warm days; still some 30°C afternoons |
| October | 17.7°C | 9.6°C | 99.8 mm | 131 h | The wettest month of the year |
| November | 11.4°C | 4.9°C | 87.2 mm | 79 h | Nouveau on Thursday 19 November |
| December | 7.7°C | 2.0°C | 53.7 mm | 59 h | The coldest month on the list; frost is common |
September is still warm, with a few 30°C afternoons on average. October is the wettest month of the whole year, with rain on about ten days. Frost starts to appear too: half a day in October on average, nearly four in November and ten in December. By December, highs average 7.7°C. The month-by-month figures are on Beaujolais weather by month.
What should you wear in the autumn vines?
Layers. A cellar is cooler than the day outside, and a vineyard walk in October can be wet underfoot. Bring a waterproof, shoes that can take mud, and a warm layer from November.
The winter day wraps you in warm plaids aboard its vintage Defender. The vintage Defenders have no seat belts, which matters if you travel with a child.
Is autumn a good time for the golden-stone villages?
Yes, and it is the half to pick on a short autumn day. The Pierres Dorées are the closest part of the vineyard to Lyon, so a half day there spends less of the daylight on the road. November has only 79 hours of sun at Lyon-Bron, against 288 in July.
The stone itself is an ochre limestone about 174 million years old, and iron oxide gives it its yellow. In Oingt, the 12th-century tower has a panoramic terrace with an orientation table, which is worth the climb on a clear autumn morning. The Golden Stones half day tastes at two family wineries there and at Montmelas, and you pick the start time when you book.
Is there a winter wine day?
Yes. The winter day from Mâcon is built for the cold months. It meets the train at Mâcon Ville at 9:30 am, with tickets, a timetable and directions provided.
The day opens with mulled wine at the Château de Corcelles, a medieval fortress turned wine estate, for 45 minutes with entry included. Then comes an hour at Victoire d'Affaux in Romanèche-Thorins, whose estate keeps a private art collection. The Château des Bachelards in Fleurie pours organic wines for two hours, with a mâchon.
Lunch at a local winemakers' restaurant is in the fare, and the last stop is an hour at Maison Jacoulot's family liqueur distillery. Four stops pour four wines or more each, for adults only, and water and soft drinks are included. It costs $567 a person, with at least two to book. Book the winter day from Mâcon well ahead: it is private, so each date goes to one party.
Which days suit an autumn visit?
If you want the famous villages, the crus full day runs in all weather, with about three hours around Fleurie and three in Romanèche-Thorins. If you want lunch in the fare and your own car, the Land Rover day tours the crus from Belleville station, lunch included.
For a shorter day on a wet forecast, a half day keeps you mostly in cellars. Every four-hour option is on beaujolais half day wine tasting tour.
What does the autumn table taste like?
Inter Beaujolais pairs its reds and rosés with Lyon's own dishes, and its whites with everything from starters to Dombes carp and fresh goat cheese. So a Lyon bistro dinner after a day in the vines is exactly the pairing the council recommends.
On a shared day you buy lunch in a village. On the wine merchant's day, a picnic of a dozen French cheeses comes with gamay poured from the 1960s to today.
How do you plan an autumn wine day?
- Pick the month. September for warmth, October for mild days and the year's most rain, November for the Nouveau, December for the winter day.
- Pick the length. Days are short by November, so a half day or a 9 am full day uses the light best.
- Check the weather clause. Some private days can be moved or refunded for poor weather; the shared crus day runs in all weather.
- Dress for the cellar. Layers and shoes for wet ground.
- Book lunch in. If a warm table matters, choose a day with lunch in the fare, such as the Land Rover day or the winter day.
Should you book for Nouveau week?
If you want to be in the region on 19 November, yes, and early. The shared days take eight people at most, and a private day goes to one party. Since every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, booking early costs you nothing if your plans change.
If the date matters less than the wine, go in September or early October instead. The days are longer and warmer: 204 hours of sun in September against 79 in November. The two halves of the region are compared in Pierres Dorées or the crus.
Frequently asked questions
When is Beaujolais Nouveau released?
When is the Beaujolais harvest?
Is there a Beaujolais wine tour in winter?
What is the best month for a Beaujolais wine tour?
What happens if it rains?
What should you wear on a Beaujolais wine tour?
Where these facts come from
The region, the villages and the weather come from the official pages below. Everything about a tour comes from its own booking page. Check both before you travel, because both change.
- Inter Beaujolais: Beaujolais Nouveau
- Inter Beaujolais: gamay
- Inter Beaujolais: visit the vineyard and the wine route
- Destination Beaujolais: wine experiences and bookings
- Météo-France: fiches climatologiques 1991-2020, Lyon-Bron and Mâcon
Days for the autumn and winter
Beaujolais and Burgundy Private Winter Wine Day Tour From Lyon
A private day from Mâcon Ville station at 9:30 am: mulled wine at the Château de Corcelles, estates in Romanèche-Thorins and Fleurie, lunch in the fare, and a family liqueur distillery.
From $567 per person
Check Availability
Full Day Private Tour of Beaujolais by vintage Land Rover
A vintage Land Rover from Belleville station at 9 am, with a courtesy train ticket from Lyon on request: the northern crus, lunch in the vines, and grape juice for anyone not drinking.
From $567 per person
Check Availability
Beaujolais Crus wine tour from Lyon Full day
A shared full day from Place Bellecour at 9 am: about three hours at an estate around Fleurie, lunch at a village restaurant at your own cost, then Romanèche-Thorins.
From $161 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Ready for an autumn day in the vines? Compare every tour on Beaujolais Tours.