Alliance Francaise de Durban presents
2016 Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau
Alliance Francaise de Durban: Thursday, 17 November.
Be part of the global celebration of the French tradition of serving the new wine of the harvest at a wine-tasting and fundraising function at the Alliance Francaise de Durban on Thursday evening, 17 November.
The 2016 Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau takes place at 7 pm on Thursday, November 17 at Alliance Française, 22 Sutton Crescent, corner of Lilian Ngoyi road (Windermere Road), Morningside.
The event is being hosted by Alliance Francaise de Durban and the French South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FSACCI) to celebrate the release of the 2016 Beaujolais Nouveau: a light, fruity red wine from France’s Beaujolais wine district.
Beaujolais Nouveau Day is marked in France on the third Thursday in November with fireworks, music and festivals. Under French law, the wine is released at 12:01am just weeks after the wines’ grapes have been harvested.
In Durban the evening will feature Beaujolais Nouveau wine which has been flown in especially for the occasion, as well as other wines of note from France’s Beaujolais region. The evening features cheese sampling, a special Beaujolais menu, live music, a silent auction and a raffle.
La Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau is a fundraiser for the Alliance Française de Durban, a local non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote the French language and culture.
The Alliance, part of an international network of more than 1,100 chapters, offers French language courses for adults and children as well as a variety of French cultural events throughout the year.
Portions of the funds raised will be used for their social inclusion programme to facilitate access to education into both primary and secondary school, and educational support through their French classes and scholarships for their refugee learners.
Says Aldé Atchy: “In the same spirit of promoting social cohesion, Alliance Française would like to offer courses in French for Zulu speakers who are motivated to learn the language and participate in community-building activities but do not have the means to do so. We would also wish to provide places on Zulu courses for English speakers who cannot afford to sign up for classes but are likewise motivated to learn an African language and be part of efforts to improve relationships across communities.
“This celebration is also a part of a worldwide French tradition: When midnight strikes on the third Thursday of November, bars, restaurants, bistros and pubs around the world can begin serving the new wine of the harvest.”
The programme for the evening starts with a complimentary glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, followed by a ‘blind’ wine tasting workshop by Chef Shaun Smith from Fusion French Café.
Participants will also have the opportunity to buy raffle tickets and win amazing prizes throughout the evening; and they can participate in an auction.
Tickets are R40 for members and R50 for non-members if bought in advance. Tickets will also be available at the door for R60. RSVP to afdbn@global.co.za or call 031 312 9582.
