Wine School, French Gamay Noir, July 29, 2014

Theme:  In preparing for this class, I wanted a varietal that was unique, or at least fairly uncommon.  I decided on Gamay, a French grape, with one Pinot Noir (the region's noble grape) as a comparison.    Gamay grapes are traditionally grown in Beaujolais, but can also be found in the Niagara Peninsula, Canada, Willamette Valley, Oregon, and a small amount is found in Australia.  This grape is more fruity, as opposed to a Pinot Noir, that can be more earthy.  

The Wines:

Trenel Fleurie 2010 Gamay

• Color:  Medium ruby
• Aroma:  Youthful nose with raspberry,cherry pie, a bit of earth, and cinnamon
• Mouth:  This light bodied wine has tart acidity with cherries and classic French mineral notes on the finish
• Price:  $17.99
• Rating: 3.5 alone : 4 with food!

Domaine Cheveau Saint-Amour "En Rontey" 2011 Gamay

• Color:  Deep ruby with a hint of purple
• Aroma:  Raspberry and pepper dominate this nose
• Mouth:  Cherry and raspberry up front with tart acidity on this light bodied wine
• Price:  $20.00
• Rating: 3.5 alone: 4 with food!

Regis Bouvier Bourgogne 2011 Pinot Noir

• Color:  Light brick red
• Aroma:  Earthy, smokiness hits the nose initially and then the undertone of blackberry, blueberry and bit of pepper with a light, fresh touch of floral
• Mouth:  Definitely an earthy wine with low tannins and some tart cherry on the finish
• Price:  $24.99
• Rating: 3.5 alone: 4 with food!

Overall Conclusion:  Initially, on the nose, we found the wines to be very interesting.  During tasting, we were taken aback slightly with the tart finishes on the Gamay wines.  They were distinctly different from the Pinot.  Over time, and with food, we found the wines to be enjoyable. We favored the Pinot Noir, but really loved all the wines with the French cheeses! These wines were definitely meant to be enjoyed with food and friends!

The Pairings:

Camembert Cheese:  This cheese was a fantastic pairing with the wines! Really enhanced the fruit flavors in both the Trenel Fleurie and the Cheveau! Also wonderful with the Pinot. French wine with French cheese - can't go wrong!
Brie Cheese:  Again difficult to pick a favorite pairing with this cheese between the Trenel and Cheveau. The balanced out  the tart flavors in the Trenel. Was also spot on with the Cheaveau.

Cheddar Cheese:  We enjoyed this best with the Pinot, but we would pick the French cheeses over the cheddar when pairing with these wines.

Meatloaf Muffins:  Very nice with the two Gamays.

Sweet Potato Hash:  A nice side pairing with the Gamays, but we didn't enjoy as much with the Pinot.

Chocolate with Raspberry Filling:  This chocolate really brought out the mocha notes in the Trenel Fleurie.

Strawberry Shortcake:  Not our favorite pairing of the evening, but this dessert was fantastic!

Conclusion: 

Beth:  Another fun wine class as we ventured into the area of French wines! As always, French wine goes hand in hand with food. I absolutely loved all three wines with the Camembert and Brie cheese! It was also delicious with the Meatloaf muffins. Difficult for me to pick a favorite wine for the evening. I enjoyed the Pinot best alone, but would have to call it a tie between the two Gamays when paired with our delicious dinner. Thanks to Mary Jo for a fun and educational evening. I loved the company.

Lisa:  Coming into the class, I really didn't know what to expect. Would the Gamay's be similar to the Pinot Noir or totally different.  Well, we had fun finding out!!  Starting with the cheeses, the Camembert was the winner for me! It seemed to improve all the wines.  The Brie balanced the two Gamay's but not so much the Pinot Noir. Cheddar was the opposite-liked best with Pinot. The Meatloaf muffins made the Gamay's pop- great pairing. Also loved the sweet potato hash mainly with the Gamay's again.  Then to the sweets- loved the chocolate with all wines but as for the strawberry shortcake, it was best eaten alone (without wine but with wino friends:)).  Overall, food made the Gamay's standout and the Pinot was great on it's own.  Fun night!!

Mary Jo:  It is always exciting, and nerve-wracking, to host a class that includes a varietal we have not yet investigated.  I found this class interesting because it compared the noble grape of a region (Pinot Noir) with another grape indigenous to the region.  What a difference!  The Gamay wines were definitely more red-fruit on the nose, where the Pinot had more earthy, dark fruit aromas.  The wines all went very well with the Brie and Camembert.  With most of the food, I felt that the Cheveau Saint-Amour Gamay paired the best.  Ultimately, I enjoyed he Gamays most with the food, versus drinking them alone.  It was a wonderful and informative class with my great friends!