Sri Lanka-France Business Council celebrates Beaujolais 2021

The Sri Lanka-France Business Council (SLFBC), in partnership with the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and Parisian school of fashion Mod’Art International, presented Beaujolais 2021, a cornerstone celebration of French culture.

Held at Colombo’s iconic The Kingsbury hotel on 27 November, the event as its name suggests is themed around Beaujolais Nouveau, which is a red wine prepared with Gamay grapes grown in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy, France. 

While other wines are typically left to mature over years, Beaujolais Nouveau, the most popular vin de premier (which is wine that is sold on the same year it is harvested) is traditionally kept for a few weeks before being sold on the third Thursday of November each year and distributors tend to race against each other to fly bottles out around the world. This day is usually commemorated every year in France as Beaujolais Nouveau Day, with fireworks, music, festivals to celebrate tradition, cuisine and fellowship.

The Chief Guest of the event was the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Eric Lavertu, who was joined by his wife. 

Setting the tone of the evening with a tasteful musical arrangement was the band Vlute, with their own expression of French melodies through a violin and flute combination that paired well with the evening. Glasses were filled with Beaujolais Nouveau, of course, with a delectable selection of French crêpes, soufflés, pastries, and macaroons available to guests. 

Immersing the audience even further into French culture was a special fashion show staged by students of Mod’Art International, which featured their designs of casual and evening wear on the ramp.

Speaking about the event, Sri Lanka-France Business Council President Ikram Ghazali noted: “It is always a pleasure to celebrate the rich cultural tapestry that France has to offer and we are especially pleased to be able to live up to this tradition with our own commemoration of this event that is celebrated around the world.  We look forward to continuing this tradition in the years to come as the bond between the two countries continues to deepen.”

The Beaujolais Nouveau wine for the event was exclusively air-freighted by Free Lanka Trading/WS23, who have been partnering with the SLFBC annually to bring down the latest release of Beaujolais Nouveau wines.

Pix by Ruwan Walpola