Gamay, the dominant grape in France’s Beaujolais region, may play second fiddle in the Loire Valley, where Cabernet Franc is the most important red variety. But with Beaujolais prices, especially for the cru wines, rising dramatically in recent years, Loire Valley Gamays are worth seeking out.
Although many of the wines are less expensive than Gamays from Beaujolais, price isn’t the only reason you should consider them.
For one thing, they are relatively light, with alcohol often in the 12 to 13 percent range, which makes them easy to drink and excellent with food, especially lighter dishes like herbed chicken, grilled pork, broiled fish dishes, and — it’s not too soon to mention it — Thanksgiving turkey.
Many of them are fruit-driven, showing a range of red and dark berry flavors, but they are also wonderful at expressing the terroir in which the grapes are grown — clay, sand, limestone, and sometimes granite soils — and often show a textured minerality that makes them all the more interesting.
Most are aged in stainless steel tanks without exposure to oak. They show a good deal of acidity but relatively soft tannins, and they almost demand a slight chill, which makes them even more refreshing and easy to drink as wash-down wines. As in Beaujolais, some are fermented using carbonic maceration.
Loire Gamays are grown in a number of appellations in the Central Loire, perhaps most notably Cheverny in the Touraine region, where they are blended with Pinot Noir. You’ll also find
