The rolling hills of the Beaujolais region, lying just north of Lyon and stretching to the west a bit from the A6 toll road, the "Autoroute du Soleil," represents a kind of transition point as you leave northern France and head into the Midi. There is a hierarchy of quality here, with the bulk of the production being designated simply Beaujolais and coming from the southern sector of the appellation. Next up the ladder is what is called Beaujolais-Villages, those wines made from fruit grown in and around 40-some-odd villages at the north end of the region. At the top of the quality   More

The rolling hills of the Beaujolais region, lying just north of Lyon and stretching to the west a bit from the A6 toll road, the "Autoroute du Soleil," represents a kind of transition point as you leave northern France and head into the Midi. There is a hierarchy of quality here, with the bulk of the production being designated simply Beaujolais and coming from the southern sector of the appellation. Next up the ladder is what is called Beaujolais-Villages, those wines made from fruit grown in and around 40-some-odd villages at the north end of the region. At the top of the quality pyramid are what are called cru Beaujolais, i.e., those wines hailing from any of 10 different communes: Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, etc.

Most of the vast output of the region is, frankly, dismal "industrial" product produced by cooperatives vinifying grapes grown by hundreds of small landowners. But a small cadre of dedicated vignerons has emerged in recent years to resuscitate the reputation of their region's wines.   Less