Beaujolais Appellation

AOC Beaujolais is the basic appellation. The wines originate almost entirely from the southern part of the region, where the soil is sandy and clayey. They account for about half of the regions total production.
They are generally light-bodied with low tannin and pronounced, youthful fruity aromas and flavors. They are wines to drink young, in the first year after the harvest.
The appellation Beaujolais Superieur is basic Beaujolais wines that have higher minimum alcohol content.

Beaujolais-Villages Appellation

This appellation comes from grapes grown in the territory of 39 villages in the northern part of the region. The village name can be mentioned if the wine comes solely from that vineyard. They account for 25 percent of all Beaujolais production.
With the schist and granite soils of the north, these wines are fuller, but still fruity, fresh, for consuming young, until they are about 2 years old.

Beaujolais Nouveau

It differs from other Beaujolais wines according to how it is made. The grapes are harvested in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages vineyards in late August or September. About two-thirds of the wine from these areas is made into Beaujolais Nouveau. It is vinified and bottled as fast as possible, to ensure the wine is bursting with youthful fruitiness. By mid-November, the wine is already bottled and on the third Thursday of November, wine drinkers all over the world open bottles to celebrate the harvest. It is the lightest, fruitiest of Beaujolais.

Crus Beaujolais

The best wines come from 10 specific zones in the northern half of the region with granitic soils. They carry the name of the area where the grapes grow. The best cru wines, when aged for 6 to 7 years, can achieve a positively Burgundian gamay complexity. They are firmer, richer and more refined than other Beaujolais wines. Each has its own character.

The 10 villages from north to south are: St-Amour, Juliénas, Chenas, Moulin-a-Vent, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly.

MACONNAIS REGION

The Mâconnais is the meeting point of northern and southern France. The grape harvest is earlier than the Côte d'Or, producing wines with richer, riper flavors.
The strength of this large district, northwest of Mâcon, lies in its fruity whites made from Chardonnay. Only a quarter of the district's wines are red, generally produced from the Gamay grape and sold under the generic appellation controlée Bourgogne.

Mâcon and Mâcon-Villages

The most basic wines are sold as Macon or Macon Superieur, but wines of much greater character are Macon-Villages. The word "Villages" often being replaced on the label by the name of one of the 43 villages entitled to the appellation, such as Macon-Lugny.
About 90 percent of Macon wine is made by cooperatives.

Pouilly-Fuissé

Part of the huge white wine-producing district of the Maconnais, the wines of the appellation of Pouilly-Fuissé, made entirely with the Chardonnay grape, are some of the most famous white Burgundies in the world.
The vineyards lie at the base of the ancient Rock of Solutre and around the villages of Pouilly and Fuissé, which give the name to the appellation. The Chardonnay grown on these limestone soils tends to be richer.