Gamay

Gamay
Grape (Vitis)
Color of berry skinPurple
Also calledGamay Noir à Jus Blanc Sicily
Notable regionsBeaujolais, Loire Valley; Niagara Peninsula; Willamette Valley
Notable winesBourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, Beaujolais nouveau
VIVC number4377

Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours.[1] Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century. It has been often cultivated because it makes for abundant production; however, it can produce wines of distinction when planted on acidic soils, which help to soften the grape's naturally high acidity.[2]

  1. ^ Walton, Stuart (2005). Cook's Encyclopedia of Wine. Anness Publishing Limited 2002, 2005. p. 92. ISBN 0-7607-4220-0.
  2. ^ Fanet, Jacuqes. Great Wine Terroirs, University of California Press, Berkeley (2004) pp. 60–61.