The Menu: Beaujolais wines and jolly Christmas times

Plus a special look at Wild Irish Foragers & Preservers

The food market at Waterford's Winterval is the hub of the celebrations.

Beaujolais nights

Even as he contemplates the possible necessity of building his own ark during this spell of extremely ‘soft’ weather (to be filled, naturally, with finest foodstuffs!), The Menu is desperately praying for some respite from this ongoing deluge, most especially on the evening of November 17, the traditional Beaujolais Nouveau Night when French wine lovers take to the streets to celebrate the arrival of the first new wine of the year.