Beaujolais

/boh'zheuh lay"/, n., pl. Beaujolaises /-layz"/ for 2.

1. a wine-growing region in E France, in Rhône department.

2. a dry, fruity red Burgundy wine from this region that does not age and usually must be drunk within a few months after it is made.

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Region in northern Rhône and northeastern Loire departments, east-central France.

It is located east of the Massif Central and west of the Sâone River. The region is wooded and supports local forestry; its highest point is Mount Saint-Rigaud, elevation 3,310 ft (1,009 m). East of the mountain are the limestone escarpments of the Côte Beaujolaise, which support a world-famous red wine industry.

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▪ ancient province, France

      ancient province of France, of which Beaujeu and Villefranche were successively the capital and which corresponded in area to much of the modern département of Rhône, with a small portion of Loire. Crossed by the mountains of Beaujolais (Monts du Beaujolais) and bounded on the east by the Saône River, it is a fertile region noted for its fine wines, marketed at Belleville.

      From the 10th to the 13th century, the seigneurs (lords) of Beaujeu gradually enlarged their possessions into a considerable feudal lordship. Édouard I de Beaujeu, marshal of France, fought at the Battle of Crécy (1346) and perished in the Battle of Ardres in 1351. His son died without issue in 1374 and was succeeded by his cousin Édouard II, who gave his estates of Beaujolais and Dombes to Louis II, Duke de Bourbon, in 1400. In 1531 the province was united to the French crown, but in 1560 King Francis II gave it back to the house of Bourbon-Montpensier, from which it passed to that of Orléans. The title Count (comte) de Beaujolais was borne by Louis-Charles d'Orléans, youngest son of Philippe Egalité.

▪ region, France

      region of east-central France, just east of the Massif Central and west of the Sâone River. Most of the region is located within Rhône département. The local relief is broken and culminates in Mount Saint-Rigaud, 3,310 feet (1,009 m); well-wooded, the region supports a local forestry industry. Small family farmsteads characterize the region west of Mount Saint-Rigaud. To the east of it, the limestone escarpments of the Côte Beaujolaise, drier in climate, support a world-famous red wine industry.

▪ wine

      one of the most widely drunk red wines in the world, produced in the Beaujolais region of southern Burgundy, France. The wine is made from the Gamay grape; it is medium red in colour, with a relatively light body and a fruity, refreshing taste.

      Wines from the southern part of the region are simply called Beaujolais. Wines from certain areas in the northern part of the region with the appellation Beaujolais-Villages generally have more colour and body and are considered to be superior in quality. Ten villages in the north produce the best Beaujolais, classified as Grands Crus; notable among them are Moulin-à-Vent and Fleurie.

      The popularity of Beaujolais increased rapidly in the latter half of the 20th century. It became fashionable to drink it shortly after harvest; this very young wine is called Beaujolais nouveau. By the early 1990s more than half the production was drunk as nouveau. Beaujolais, and particularly Beaujolais nouveau, is often served chilled.

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