There are nine villages in the northern part of Beaujolais that have the Grand Cru designation and they are worth remembering, as they normally do not list Beaujolais on the label.  These nine villages account for about a third of the production of the area and usually are made with more finesse and may be cellared for a period of time; consequently they are usually more expensive than the bulk of Beaujolais wines.  The nine Grand Cru villages are Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Morgon, Saint-Amour, Chenas, Julienas and Chiroubles.

Moulin-a-Vent is considered the sturdiest and longest-lived of the wines.  It can be paired with more complex dishes because of this reputation.  It is also has the largest production as the villages of Chenas and Romaneche-Thorins are entitled to this appellation as well.

Fleurie and Brouilly are known for lighter and more delicate elegant wines.  The Cote de Brouilly is an inner appellation for the slopes in Brouilly.

Morgon normally has a large production crop, but is seldom seen here and usually requires some aging time before it is ready to drink.

Julienas and Chenas are both known for displaying terroir and this gives them a difference among the Grand Crus.  Julienas wines can be found here, whereas a lot of the Chenas wines go under the Moulin-a-Vent designation.

Saint-Amour in spite of its romantic sounding name and Chiroubles are both wines that are not usually found exported here.