With Nov. 15, 2012, being the launch date for the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau, most of the wine being consumed outside of France has been shipped through the Port of Le Havre.

According to port information, the Georges Duboeuf winery shipped 1.75 million bottles to Le Havre, 80 percent by rail and 20 percent by road. One-hundred-and-twenty-five containers were shipped to New York on Oct. 29 aboard the MSC vessel Kaethe C. Rickmers.

The Beaujolais Nouveau arrived in New York on Nov. 8 and has since been distributed to outlets in all 50 states, despite a late harvest in France and Hurricane Sandy striking New York, according to Giorgio Gori, the logistics and carrier company managing the shipment.

Representing 2 percent of the French wine production in 2011, 1,200 containers of the Beaujolais Nouveau were exported, mostly to Asia and the U.S., representing 12 million bottles from a total production of 40 million.

The 2012 production, however, is said to sharply down, due to bad weather.