This year's first shipment of Beaujolais Nouveau arrived Nov. 7 at Narita and other airports in Japan, with worldwide sales of the French wine set to kick off Nov. 20.

Japan, one of the first nations able to taste the fresh, young red, which is traditionally drunk at midnight, is expected to import only 6.48 million bottles this year, down 20 percent, according to Asahi Breweries Ltd., a major importer and distributor of the wine.

This year's batch has a good combination of ample fruitiness and moderate acidity, partially due to the sunny and cool weather the Beaujolais region received in September, the company said.