This year marks the 50th anniversary of Beaujolais Nouveau, and its expansion since 1951 has been remarkable. The Beaujolais region has grown from approximately 34,500 acres of vineyards to over 55,000 acres today, while annual production of Nouveau has increased from about 390,000 gallons to a staggering 11.5 million gallons.

Beaujolais Nouveau is produced from two appellations in France -- Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. These two appellations account for nearly three-fourths of the entire Beaujolais region's production.

The 2001 harvest saw a hot growing season followed by a cool and dry September, providing pickers with fine conditions for the harvest, which began on Sept. 6th. While not up to the quality of the superb 2000 wines, 2001 looks to be a good vintage.

While Georges Duboeuf is the undisputed king of the region, with the best-known and most widely distributed bottlings, there are other producers who release Nouveau -- including some from regions other than Beaujolais. Following is a list of some of the first Northern Hemisphere wines from the 2001 vintage that you're likely to find on retailer shelves, starting today.

84    Ca'vit  Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti Novello Terrazze della Luna 2001  $8
Fresh and ripe, with dark plum character and a nice dash of tannin on the finish. Drink now. -- J.M.

84    Pierre & Paul Durdilly  Beaujolais Nouveau Les Grandes Coasses 2001  $11
Nice beam of fruit, with banana, cherry and vanilla notes. Uncomplicated and tasty. A textbook Nouveau. Drink now. -- J.M.

84    Mommessin  Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2001  $10
Nice violet, strawberry and cherry notes, with a crisp, lively finish. Drink now. -- J.M.

83    Beringer  Nouveau California 2001  $8
Interesting blood orange note to the light-bodied cherry and vanilla flavors. Soft finish. Pinot Noir, Valdiguié and Grenache. Drink now. -- J.M.

82    Mommessin  Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau Château de Montmelas 2001  $10
Bright and lively, with red cherry and floral notes and a crisp finish. Serve with poached salmon. Drink now. -- J.M.

81    Georges Duboeuf  Beaujolais Nouveau 2001  $9
Bright, with red cherry and strawberry notes and a crunchy finish. Drink now. 190,000 cases imported. -- J.M.

80    Olivier Ravier  Beaujolais Nouveau Domaine des Sables d'Or 2001  $9
More like a full-bodied rosé, with strawberry and watermelon notes and a crisp finish. Drink now. 2,000 cases made. -- J.M.

80    Louis Tête  Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2001  $10
Like Welch's soda. Grapey, with a touch of carbon dioxide and a clean, simple finish. Drink now. 50,000 cases made. -- J.M.

79    Mionetto  Marca Trevigiana Novello 2001  $10
A bit candied, with cranberry and red cherry flavors and a slightly tart finish. Merlot and Corvina. -- J.M.

78    Mommessin  Beaujolais Nouveau 2001  $9
Tart, with cranberry and hard-candy notes and a dilute finish. -- J.M.