October 18, 2004

Gamay

Pronounced [ga-MAY]

From the International Wine of the Month Club

Beaujolais makes its famous, fruity reds exclusively from one of the many Gamay clones available. Low in alcohol and relatively high in acidity, the wines are meant to be drunk soon after bottling; the ultimate example of this is Beaujolais Nouveau, which is whipped onto shelves everywhere almost overnight by the third week in November. It is also grown in the Loire, but there it makes no remarkable wines. The Swiss grow it widely for blending with Pinot Noir.

From WikiPedia

Gamay is a red wine grape variety most famously grown in Beaujolais. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, and it is probably originated as a mutation of Pinot Noir. Confusingly the Gamay name has become attached to other varieties grown in California which were at one time were thought to be the true Gamay. Napa Gamay is now known to be Valdeguié and the name Napa Gamay will no longer appear on labels after 2007. Gamay Beaujolais is considerd to be an early ripening Californian clone of Pinot Noir. Gamay Noir is a permitted synonym for Gamay in the US.

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