What's Going On in the World of French Wines

In some ways, Gamay is the Rodney Dangerfield of the grape world – all it wants is a little respect. For centuries, Gamay has struggled to be seen as a serious contender. In 1395 for example, Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy, issued a decree that outlawed the use of Gamay in Burgundian wine. His reasoning was that Gamay was not suited to producing quality wines and that the vine yielded too many grapes.

Over the last 613 years though, it has become clear that while Gamay might not be suited to Burgundy, it is very much suited to the Beaujolais region, as well as several others. And while Gamay might not produce the world-class age-worthy wines that Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir are capable of, it still makes one heck of a juicy and tasty wine.

Gamay grows on the fast side – it is an early -budding, -flowering and -ripening grape which means that although it can be sensitive to frost, it is also capable of ripening in cooler climates. This is one reason why you can find it grown in the Loire and also in Switzerland. Gamay tends to have a fairly crisp level of acid (making it one of the more “refreshing” red wines) and aromas and flavors of fresh strawberries and raspberries. When carbonic maceration or semi-carbonic maceration is used to vinify the grapes, then it is also not uncommon to find aromas of bananas and candied strawberries. For wine lovers looking for a red with fairly soft tannins, Gamay is a great red grape to try. In fact, if you don’t consider yourself a red wine drinker but you want to start experimenting with reds, I would recommend that you consider starting out with an approachable red grape like Gamay.

Although Gamay is grown in several different regions, it is practically synonymous with the Beaujolais region. As the Oxford Companion to Wine points out, “no other wine region is so determinedly monocepagiste as Beaujolais…” meaning that no other wine region relies so heavily on just one single grape variety for all of the wines produced in that region. The wines of Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and the 10 crus of Beaujolais are all made from the Gamay grape. Of these, only the wines of Beaujolais-Villages and the crus of Beaujolais are considered to be somewhat age-worthy. However, there is nothing wrong with the fact that these wines are best drunk when youthful and fresh – not all wines are meant to be aged and some of Gamay’s charm stems from its youthful grapey-ness.

Gamay is also a very food-friendly and versatile grape. With bright acidity and fresh, but light fruit flavors, it can pair well with both chicken and beef as well as with pork and turkey. It is great with a quiche, but can be just as tasty when served with whatever you might throw on the grill for a cookout. Wines made from the Gamay grape are best served on the cool side, so chill your bottle in the fridge for 25-30 minutes before serving. As I’ve said before, Beaujolais is one of the more refreshing red wines and in the middle of summer, who could ask for anything more?