#GoGamayGo. A rallying collective for a misunderstood red grape, this hashtag has united Gamay fans globally. Gamay is much more than the marketing gimmickry of Beaujolais Nouveau and the cheap & cheerful “new wine” paraded around each fall. The characterful, humble Gamay grape is the darling light red of many sommeliers and vintners thanks to its fresh acidity, fragrant fruitiness, fine tannins and lissome structure. Its full name, Gamay Noir à jus Blanc, reflects that its skin is black, its juice is white, but the wine produced is a light bodied red.
The grape first appeared in Bourgogne in the mid 14th century, and was reported to bring relief to local growers after the bleakness of the Black Death. Gamay ripened earlier, yielded higher and was easier to cultivate than finicky pinot noir. Unfortunately, it wasn’t seen as refined as pinot, so in an act to raise the prestige of his region, Duke Philip the Bold banned the grape. Gamay took hold further south in Beaujolais, as well as to the north, in the Loire Valley, where it continues to thrive in its characterful way today. It reaches its zenith with Cru Beaujolais, the 10 special villages in northern Beaujolais focusing entirely on this humble grape.
