PARIS (AP) – It's Beaujolais Nouveau time again.

Wine-lovers are sampling the latest batch of the young, fruity wine on the day of its release in France and around the world. Samplers say this year's edition is sweet but not cloying.

Beaujolais Nouveau is released every year on the third Thursday of November. Parties are held to open the first bottle at midnight, and celebrations continue for the rest of the day.

Francois Cheri was sipping his wine at a Paris restaurant, enjoying "a moment of relaxation".

With the weather getting cold, the 72-year-old says, "A little bit of Beaujolais won't hurt anyone."

Last year more than 15.2 million bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau were exported to 110 countries. The two most popular destinations were Japan and the United States.