Beaujolais nouveau wine bottles open

VILLEFRANCHE, France, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The first bottles of 2012's Beaujolais nouveau were opened, made from a French grape crop smaller than usual and provoking a rise in the price of the wine.

As many as 300 of the Beaujolais region's 2,500 winegrowers are facing serious financial problems, and frost, hail and diseases brought on by heavy rain reduced the 2012 crop by half, compared to 2011, Radio France Internationale reported Thursday.

The popular and immediately-drinkable wine Thursday had what amounts to its annual Opening Day, beginning in Japan, its provincial importer.

Due to low production, prices per bottle, worldwide, are expected to rise 10 to 20 percent, the news service said.