| Gamay is a blackish purple grape that is used to | | | | point French royalty banned it because it was |
| make a dark red wine of the same name. It is grown | | | | overtaking other types of wine. |
| in France. It is considered to be one of the fanciest | | | | The Gamay grape vine is also known for being a |
| of wines and it is raised as a crop where the best | | | | very vigorous vine that tends to create a very acidic |
| vintages are grown in the Tours and the Louire | | | | yet sweet fruit. The wine is also noted for being |
| Valley. The full name for Gamy is Gamay Noir a Jus | | | | very fruity with an almost tropical flair. Some Gamays |
| Blanc. | | | | even seem to taste a bit like bananas. This is not an |
| It is a very treasured old cultivar that has been | | | | aged wine and typically it tastes a bit of raisins, sour |
| around since the 1400s. It is known for its acidity and | | | | cherries, and black pepper. |
| to get its special flavor without harshness the grape | | | | Gamay is also a wine that is sometimes blended |
| is planted in soils with high acidity. This makes it an | | | | especially with a very alkaline wine known as |
| excellent wine to be served on its own. It is used a | | | | Southern Bugolais that is grown in the alkaline |
| varietal but it does not have to be blended with | | | | limestone soils in the south of France. |
| other vintages in order to be delicious. | | | | The true French Gamay [ grape is not to be |
| Compared to most French wines which have strong | | | | confused with the Napa Gamay which is grown in |
| bitter tastes, a glass of Gamay has a very pleasant | | | | California. That wine is known as Valdeque. Rather |
| tangy taste and it is known as being a drinking wine. | | | | than being a true Gamay grape, wines from California |
| It is also a pleasant color. Instead of being a bloody | | | | labeled as such are actually clones of Pinot Noir |
| red it has a very unusual and pleasant blue purple | | | | grapes. These Gamays are also sometimes called the |
| tinge to it. It is a versatile wine and many rose wines | | | | Gamay Beaujolais even though they have nothing at |
| and sparkling wines are also made from this type of | | | | all to do with the French Gamay vine. |
| grape. When mixed with other wines it often turns | | | | The grape is also found in the Niagara region in |
| the color of the beverage an enchanting pink. | | | | Canada and a recognized and tasty permutation of |
| The Gamay wine was developed because it could be | | | | the grape is grown there. It is called Gamay Droit. |
| harvested two weeks earlier than the Pinot Noir | | | | Gamay Droit is also successfully cultivated by wine |
| varieties of grapes and this allowed the vineyards to | | | | producers in Australia. |
| be paid faster in the season. It was also a strongly | | | | Some kinds of Gamay are also grown in Oregon in a |
| flavored, sweeter wine than the Pinot and it grew in | | | | very specific area called the Willamette Valley Wine |
| abundance. The fact that it began to become more | | | | Region. |
| popular than the Pinot was its undoing and at one | | | | |