Gamay

"What is it? Never heard of it."

That's what most people say when they see Gamay or hear Gamay mentioned but say "Beaujolais" and it's a different story. Most people don't know what Gamay is, how it should taste or how it's made.

Beaujolais is the name that comes to the tip of the tongue when Gamay is mentioned as it's here that the grape has been made famous. Unfortunately, as with a lot of wines, Beaujolais has had it's days of bad press, leaving it with a poor public image.

Times-are-a-changing though and standards are being raised with Beaujolais quality. The Gamay grape is also finding fame in new countries too, where wine makers experiment with it and new techniques to produce interesting wines.

A good quality Gamay can taste similar to Pinot Noir as it has much of the same nuances.