Australian Wine from
Alternative Grape Varieties

Gamay, the beaujolais variety

Gamay: gaining popularity in Australia

Gamay grape

Gamay is a versatile red wine grape variety best known for its role in Beaujolais, but it also plays many other roles in winemaking in other regions of France and elsewhere.

It also makes spicy reds and roses in the lower Loire Valley. In Burgundy, Gamay plays second fiddle to Pinot Noir as a component in lesser wines. In Switzerland it plays a similar role where it is blended with Pinot Noir to produce a wine known as Dole.

The fashion for full bodied wines a la Parker has left lighter styled wines in a shadow. This is a pity because Gamay wines can be excellent. Just as every meal does not have to be a huge piece of steak, every wine you drink does not have to be a superheavyweight either. Wines from this variety can be full flavoured, don't be fooled by their lighter colour and body.

You will find a few plantings in Australia across a broad range of climates, from Southern Tasmania, the Mornington Peninsula, North Eastern Victoria, the Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley and the Granite Belt in Queensland.

This early ripening variety is suitable in cooler regions, but its wide distribution in Australian wine regions suggests that it is a versatile variety.

I can find no better description of Gamay's varietal character than this sentence from Karen MacNeil, author of the Wine Bible

"Drinking Gamay is like diving into a pool of black cherries."

Beaujolais and other Gamay wines are usually best consumed young. This allows you to enjoy the fruity flavours.

Gamay and Food

Pair gamay and lighter red style with foods such as chicken, turkey or veal. You should also try them at the start of the meal with lighter hors d’œuvres, or antipasto.

Serve these wines cool, rather than chilled on a warm summer day, or at room temperature in the cooler months.