Beaujolais History

Vines have been growing in Beaujolais since the second or third century, as attested by various writings. Wines were produced and drunk in the region during the Middle Ages.

The origins of the word Beaujolais varies, depending on historians. What is certain is that Beaujolas owes its name to the Sires of Beaujeu, who reigned over a large and important territory from the 9th to 11th centuries. In 1400, Edouard de Beaujeu gave his lands to the Bourbon. Pierre de Bourbon married Anne de France, Louis XI's daughter, who became known as Anne de Beaujeu and was the Regent of France. She bestowed her patronage on the town of Villefranche, and in 1514 Villefranche was designated the new capital of the Beaujolais. Sounds sorta like a soap opera, eh?

Fast-forward to the 20th century, when the first Appellations d'Origine Controlle (AOC) of Beaujolais were created: Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Regnie, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-a-Vent, Chenas, Julienas Later, Saint Amour was granted AOC status (in 1946), and most recently (in 1988) Regnie gained status as an AOC. What's AOC mean? Well, it's a little detailed to fit here, so go to the entry on Wikipedia.