Beaujolais wines

Beaujolais is world-renowned, particularly for its primeur wine. Beaujolais wines offer excellent value for money. As with champagne, the Beaujolais appellation requires winegrowers to harvest their grapes by hand. The grape varieties used are Gamay for red wine (95% of production) and Chardonnay for white wine. 

Beaujolais is part of the Burgundy wine region. Around half of the wines are sold underthe Beaujolais appellation. They are produced in the southern part of the vineyard. The second most important appellation, Beaujolais-Villages, is located in the northern part. Ten villages within this area have the right to include their name on the label. Beaujolais also includes 10 communal appellations known as " crus du Beaujolais ": Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, and Côte-de-Brouilly.

The Beaujolais vineyards cover an area of 22,870 hectares. They extend across the foothills of the Massif Central, west of the Saône River, between Mâcon and Lyon. The region enjoys a climate that gives it its unique character: continental in winter, oceanic between seasons, and Mediterranean in summer.

The Beaujolais vineyard began to develop in the 2nd century, with the arrival of the Romans. Thanks to its well-oriented terroir, proximity to the Saône and Rhône rivers, and the growth of neighboring towns, wine production intensified in the 17th century. With its rich and complex geology, the Beaujolais region is a candidate for the "geopark" label awarded by UNESCO.