red grape · regional staple
Gamay
Burgundy, France
Say it
gah·may
The final syllable is a pure French 'eh' vowel, not the English diphthong; 'gah-MAY' is the accepted American approximation.
On the palate
raspberrystrawberryred cherryvioletred plumblack pepper
How you spot it blind: transparent red fruit, high acid, low tannin, violet florals
The story
First written down · 14th century, Burgundy, France
Named for the hamlet of Gamay in the Côte d'Or and banned from Burgundy by Philip the Bold in 1395; DNA analysis confirmed its parentage as Pinot Noir × Gouais Blanc (Heunisch Weiss).
Family tree: Heunisch Weiss × Pinot Noir
Where it lives
Beaujolais · Loire Valley · Mâcon · Geneva (Switzerland) · Oregon (USA) · Savoie
Shows up as
still redBeaujolais NouveauBeaujolais-VillagesMoulin-à-VentMorgonFleurierosésparkling
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Also answers to Gamay Noir, Gamay d'Auvergne.
Shop our Gamay bottles