Beaujolais is a French red wine made from the thin skin grape known as Gamay.  This grape is low in tannins that make the wine very light bodied with high amounts of acidity.  Beaujolais is also a region that sometimes produces more wine than the Burgundy regions altogether.  Located north of Lyon, the wine takes its name from the region.  Known for their long tradition of winemaking, this region dates back to Roman times.  Most of the wine produced from the 7th through the 9^th century was produced by Benedictine Monks.  In the10th century, the region was named Beaujeu and ruled by the lords of Beaujeu until the 15th century.  In the 1980’s, Beaujolais became increasingly popular in the world’s market with Beaujolais Nouveau.  Nouveau was slightly sweeter and light bodied. 
There are twelve main regions or appellations of Beaujolais produced in more than 96 villages in the region.  Beaujolais wines are produced by a technique of semi-carbonic maceration.  The wine style is a classic bistro style wine of Paris.  Treated much like a white wine, it is sometimes served with a little chill and can be paired well with poultry and cod.  Traditionally, the wine is soaked in buckets of ice and brought to the center of the village during picnics and games of boules.