There are a few really beautiful red wines perfect for summer drinking and Gamay Noir definitely belongs in that category. Gamay, while not exactly a household name, is grown all over the world. It is a light-skinned grape and thus lighter in style similar to Pinot Noir. In fact, one of the most famous places to find Gamay Noir is in Beaujolais which is just belowBurgundy in France. Interestingly enough, red wine from Burgundy is predominantly Pinot Noir, which has similar characteristics to Gamay.
This grape is light-bodied with high acidity alongside earthy, floral and fruity aromas. Famously found in France as Beaujolais but also growing increasingly popular in wine growing regions within Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, to name a few. French Beaujolais wines are going to offer more of the earthy and floral notes while venturing into a bit warmer climate will produce Gamay wines with a bit more fruit.
This grape produces wines with really great acidity and low tannins, which makes sense since the skins of this grape are so thin. One of the most interesting things about tasting and scoring a wine like this is how humungous the nose can be. You might smell fruit like currant or plum and then earthy soil followed by flowers and spice. Lovely. It’s fun to discover how light the wine feels on your palate after such a complex bouquet. It has all of the same tasting notes you smell just with quite a delicate weight - making for an interesting experience.
The next time you feel like a Pinot Noir consider picking up a Gamay or Beaujolais and see if it‘s a match for your palate! You’ll never know if you don’t try and it’s always fun to find a new wine to enjoy. Afterall, everybody who enjoys drinking wine should drink the wine they enjoy.
Happy Scoring, High Fivers!
xo
Tonia
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