Gamay
What is gamay and how does it taste?
Gamay is a French red wine varietal that achieved fame in Beaujolais. Fruit driven and juicy, gamay is all about easy drinking. Lighter styles of gamay will taste like strawberries, bananas, and violets. The best gamay wines can taste like a fine pinot noir, offering red cherries, raspberries, baking spices, forest floor notes, even rose petals.
Where is gamay grown?
Though you’ll find it grown throughout Burgundy, the Macon, and the Loire Valley, the finest expressions of gamay come from the rolling hills of Beaujolais. The region itself is blessed with 10 Cru vineyards.
Some popular gamay producers:
- Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Village
- Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village
- Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon Cote dy Puy
- Chateau Thivin Cote de Broully
What food pairs well with gamay?
Gamay’s easy going fruit flavors, soft texture, and refreshing finish make it a winning wine to pair with food. Lighter styles of gamay such as Beaujolais Nouveau or a Beaujolais Village play well with sushi, seared tuna or salmon, as well as salads that include chicken or bacon. A weighty gamay such as a Cru Beaujolais is the ideal partner for charcuterie and salami, as well as many classic bistro dishes: simply roasted chicken, seared duck breast, garlic sausage, duck confit, coq au vin, even hanger steak and fries.