Beaujolais, spiritual homeland of the Gamay grape and best-known for its young-release Beaujolais Nouveau red wines, is a red and white wine appellation just south of Burgundy in central eastern France. As well as its easy-drinking, youthful wines, the region is also home to ten, well-regarded, "cru" vineyards and a number of popular, and even cult, wine estates.

Gamay (Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc in full) is most famous for producing the light, fruit-driven red wines of Beaujolais. It is, however, also grown in reasonable quanitities in various parts of the Loire Valley (notably Anjou), in Savoie and in western Switzerland.