Name of THE GAMAY

The once-maligned red grape of Beaujolais is making a brave comeback, says Dominic Rippon

- Dominic Rippon

The golden slopes of Burgundy’s famous Côte d’Or were once covered with gamay vines, a variety that is said to have originated in the village of the same name, in the commune of Saint-Aubin, near Beaune. In common with the white chardonnay, gamay is the mature offspring of the even more ancient pinot noir and gouais blanc varieties. It was prized in the Middle Ages for its ability to produce large crops more reliably than the capricious pinot noir.