PARIS (AP) -- The 2008 edition of Beaujolais Nouveau wine is here, and vintners hope it will lift spirits despite the financial crisis and a dismal crop.
The annual arrival of the young, fruity and heavily marketed wine is generally a cause for parties from Beijing to Las Vegas.
Vintners hope the festive atmosphere surrounding Beaujolais Nouveau's release will bring some joy after a soggy summer in which some lost their entire harvests. It was the smallest crop since 1975.
Tasters say this year's Beaujolais Nouveau has raspberry tones.
The wine is more popular among young people and outside France than with connoisseurs.
It is released traditionally on the third Thursday of November.
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