Gamay
Gamay (or Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc to give it its full name) is a purple skinned grape variety that produces soft, elegant, fruit driven reds. It’s the flagship varietal of Beaujolais in France, a region which has seen a rekindling of interest in recent years putting Gamay in the spotlight on an international scale. Gamay is revered the world over for being light and juicy, for its dainty floral aromas and being a surprisingly good pairing for a range of foods.
Gamay grapes are often likened to Pinot Noir, its cousin varietal with which it shares some similar taste characteristics. In fact Beaujolais is located directly South of Burgundy in France, a region that’s synonymous with premium Pinot Noir. One of the differences between the two is that Gamay grapes tend to produce higher yields, and you can therefore usually find premium Gamay at more reasonable prices than Burgundy Pinot Noir!
Gamay Tasting Notes
Blackcurrant
Raspberry
Cherry
Violet
Earthy
Gamay is most commonly known for its fresh red fruit flavours. A lot of the wine’s fruitiness comes through in its aromas, with raspberry and red cherry jumping out of the glass alongside floral wisps of violet. On the palate, expect tart flavours of red plum, raspberry and red cherry, and maybe even some subtle earthy undertones. Well-made examples from cru appellations in Beaujolais tend to be more concentrated, with more intensity and a slightly longer finish.
Gamay Wine Style
Light and Juicy Red Wine
Light Full BodiedGamay is typically quite light in both body and colour, has low levels of alcohol and tannins and high levels of acidity. Most Gamay should be enjoyed young (and sometimes lightly chilled) to make the most of its freshness, although some excellent examples from villages or crus in Beaujolais can age in a bottle for several years.
Wine Regions
France
New Zealand
Beaujolais in France produces 75% of the world’s Gamay wines, and it is definitely suited to the granite-based soils here. Beaujolais Nouveau are the more common, simple examples of Gamay from the broader Beaujolais region. A lot of winemakers in Beaujolais will use techniques to maximise colour extraction while also minimising the extraction of tannins. This can add flavours of candy and banana to the resulting wine!
There are 10 villages or crus within Beaujolais that offer better, more structured wines, packing more concentrated flavours and complexity. Some of the most well-known of these are Fleurie, Brouilly, Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon and Chiroubles.
Gamay is also commonly grown between Burgundy in France and Switzerland. The Swiss region of Geneva produces single varietal Gamay wines that are light with vivacious aromas of fresh red fruits. Other areas of Western Switzerland tend to blend Gamay with its cousin varietal Pinot Noir, as is the case in a lot of the nearby French regions. It’s also becoming increasingly popular to produce Gamay in other cool climate regions around the world, including Canada and New Zealand.
What Food Goes with Gamay?
As mentioned previously, Gamay is a surprisingly good food pairing wine. A good bet is to partner with your Christmas roast turkey, where it’ll compliment the meat, cranberry sauce and herby roast potatoes. You can also try it with some lovely duck and plum sauce, and if you’re a cheese lover reach for some Camembert!
