AppellationBeaujolais VillagesThe Heart of Beaujolais
As the region’s second-biggest, the Beaujolais Villages appellation offers wine lovers a wide range of flavors and aromas, each wine an individual in its own right. From one village to the next, from one slope to the next, the terroirs are never identical.
For Wine Geeks
Beaujolais Villages is divided into three zones, where wines of various characteristics are produced. The southern zone is near the Haute-Azergues hills and has soil that produces very fruity wine. Wines with greater structure are made in the central zone, and the northern area is known for its full-bodied wine.
Over 18 square miles, 1,200 growers produce roughly 32 million bottles a year. The vines for Beaujolais Villages grow in 38 villages, which make up the heart of the Beaujolais region. White and rosé Beaujolais Villages are made at the northern end of the vine growing area, close to the Mâconnais district.
For Showoffs
Beaujolais Villages has long been a successful appellation, finding much success in bistros, where it earned its title as the “true prince of bars and good tables” during the 1960s.