France Guide
Burgundy
The Beaujolais
Imperceptibly, as you continue south, the Mâconnais becomes the Beaujolais, a larger area of terraced hills producing lighter, fruity red wines, which it is now fashionable to drink very early. The Beaujolais grape is the Gamay, which, unlike in other parts of Burgundy, thrives here on this granite soil. Of the four appellations of Beaujolais, the best are the crus, which come from the northern part of the region between St-Amour and Brouilly. If you have transport, you can follow the cru trail south from Mâcon by turning right at Crêches-sur-Saône up the D31 to St-Amour, and then south along the D68. Beaujolais Villages, which produces the most highly regarded nouveau, comes from the middle of the Beaujolais region, south of the cru belt, while plain Beaujolais and Beaujolais Supérieur are produced in the vineyards southwest of Villefranche.