Gamay
‘Gamay’ I always think is a slightly unfortunate name given that it sounds a little too like ‘gammy’, but anyway I digress. Chronic pain aside, this grape without a doubt finds it home in Beaujolais. For those in need of a little geographical context; that’s just above Burgundy. Production of this grape is very specific in Beaujolais as carbonic maceration (whole berry fermentation) is used, which basically helps to preserve the fresh juiciness of the varietal.
What am I getting?
A super light-bodied, delicate red-wine that is, in many ways, similar to Pinot Noir. Gamay is beloved for its delicate floral aromas and subtle earthy notes. Think violets and a little hint of bubblegum, plus on top of that there are often notes of banana due to the carbonic maceration…it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when the Beaujolais Nouveau is released (which is always the 3rdThursday of November at 12.01am according to French law – no, I have no idea why) people go mad for the stuff, so they must be doing something right.
What can I drink it with?
One of the major upsides to Gamay is that thanks to its super high natural acidity combined with its barely-there tannin, it is relatively easy to pare with a huge array of foods…it’s actually quite hard to go wrong. You could go for anything from roast chicken or chicken tagine to beef stroganoff, grilled salmon of even fried calamari.
I want it!
Let’s find you some nicely banana-d wine then…
Let’s not go crazy…
Beaujolais-Villages 2016 Georges Duboeuf (light, France) £9.99 per bottle
All out!
2017 Fleurie, Domaine Julien Sunier (medium, France) £27.50 per bottle
What am I getting?
A super light-bodied, delicate red-wine that is, in many ways, similar to Pinot Noir. Gamay is beloved for its delicate floral aromas and subtle earthy notes. Think violets and a little hint of bubblegum, plus on top of that there are often notes of banana due to the carbonic maceration…it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when the Beaujolais Nouveau is released (which is always the 3rdThursday of November at 12.01am according to French law – no, I have no idea why) people go mad for the stuff, so they must be doing something right.
What can I drink it with?
One of the major upsides to Gamay is that thanks to its super high natural acidity combined with its barely-there tannin, it is relatively easy to pare with a huge array of foods…it’s actually quite hard to go wrong. You could go for anything from roast chicken or chicken tagine to beef stroganoff, grilled salmon of even fried calamari.
I want it!
Let’s find you some nicely banana-d wine then…
Let’s not go crazy…
Beaujolais-Villages 2016 Georges Duboeuf (light, France) £9.99 per bottle
All out!
2017 Fleurie, Domaine Julien Sunier (medium, France) £27.50 per bottle
