Juliénas is a relatively old settlement if it is to be judged by the archaeological remains and Gallo-Roman tombs that have been recorded here.
For a very long time it was on the natural artery for migrations from the Saone Valley to the west and northwest and inversely.
Its viticultural calling goes back over 2000 years, making it the starting point for vinegrowing in the Beaujolais region. It is undeniable that vines were grown on the slopes here in Gallo-Roman times.
The name Juliénas is said to be for Julius Cesar and the Roman legions that stopped here to quench their thirst during the Gallic Wars. But Juliénas could just as well be a hamlet of Jullié that developed independently of its original parish. Etymologically speaking Juliénas is made up of ‘Jullié’ and ‘As’, which meant ‘property of’. The debate remains open: Did Julius Cesar, who wrote about the region in his Gallic Wars, give his name to Jullié, our neighbouring village, or to Juliénas?
The editor of the Canard Enchaîné (similar in spirit to Private Eye) was well acquainted with Toto Dubois and Victor Peyret, the two ambassadors for Cru Juliénas at the end of WWII. It took very little for the Canard journalists to make this wine one of their emblems. Thanks to them, everybody in France, knew about Juliénas and thought of it as a festive, feel good wine.