Australian Wine from |
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Gamay, the beaujolais varietyGamay: gaining popularity in Australia
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
Beaujolais
and other Gamay wines are usually best consumed young. This allows you to enjoy the fruity flavours.
Serve these wines cool, rather than chilled on a warm summer day, or at room temperature in the cooler months. Wineries using this variety in Australia include:
You can buy some Gamay in environmentally friendly bottles here
John Gehrig Wines of the King Valley report that they topped the light red wine class at the 2007 Mebourne Wine Show |
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