Beaujolais [key], hilly region, Rhône dept., E central France, W of the Saône between Mâcon and Lyons. It is one of the great wine areas of France, famous for its red wine. Villefranche-sur-Saône, the historic capital, is a leading textile center. Lyons is the industrial hub of the region. Beaujolais was once the fief of the powerful lords of Beaujeu (a small town which gave the region its name). Annexed to the crown in 1531, it was incorporated into Lyonnais prov.
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