London - Wine buffs around the world were enjoying this year's Beaujolais Nouveau yesterday on the most hyped day in the drinking calendar.
Some enthusiasts even managed a tipple with their breakfast as the first of 2.2 million bottles began arriving in Britain - just a small proportion of more than 50 million bottles which France is exporting. Beaujolais Nouveau Day dates from the turn of the century in France, but started to become fashionable in Britain only during the 1970s. British Airways said the special cargo - more than twice as much as last year - filled every inch of cargo space on the airline's 14 daily flights from Paris to London.