Historically, the Beaujolais region has never been part of the Burgundy's. Only its northern part in Saône-et-Loire belongs administratively to the Burgundy. However, from a wine-production point of view, the whole region is part of Burgundy.
In the 14th century, the main grape variety of the Beaujolais region, the Gamay, had conquered the best terroirs of the Côte d'Or, which provoked the anger of the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe le Hardi. In 1395, he ordered the uprooting of all the Gamay plants in the area, thus leading to the spread of the Pinot Noir variety.
On the other hand, Gamay has been maintained in the Mâconnais and the Beaujolais regions, where it reaches its best expression in the crystalline soils of the northern Beaujolais.