Grape variety
Gamay
Gamay in Switzerland: the Beaujolais grape in Geneva, Vaud and Valais, Pinot Noir’s partner in Dôle. Origin, parentage, aromas and what to eat with it.
- Colour
- Red
- Parentage
- Natural cross of Pinot × Gouais Blanc (DNA analysis 1999), from Burgundy
- Grown in Switzerland
- A little over 1,000 hectares, almost all in French-speaking Switzerland: Valais, Vaud, Geneva
- Typical aromas
- Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, pepper, violet
- Classic pairing
- Charcuterie, saucisson vaudois with papet, grilled sausages
- Synonym
- Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc
With a little over 1,000 hectares, Gamay is the second most planted red grape in Switzerland after Pinot Noir, almost all of it in the French-speaking cantons. The largest areas are in Valais and Vaud; in Geneva it is the leading red variety. It is the same grape that makes Beaujolais, and its full name, Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, distinguishes it from the red-fleshed teinturier Gamays that were once used to deepen colour.
Its family tree is well known. DNA analysis published in 1999 showed that Gamay is a natural cross of Pinot and Gouais Blanc, a once common peasant grape of north-eastern France, which makes it a sibling of Chardonnay and Aligoté. It was already documented in Burgundy in the 14th century, when in 1395 the Duke of Burgundy ordered it uprooted in favour of Pinot Noir. The grape buds and ripens early, yields generously and tolerates poorer soils, which is why growers kept planting it despite the duke.
In Switzerland Gamay rarely appears alone on the grand wine lists, but it is everywhere in the glass. In Valais it is the junior partner in Dôle, the traditional red blend built on Pinot Noir and Gamay in which Pinot must have the larger share; Vaud has its counterpart in Salvagnin. On its own, Gamay from the glacial gravels of Geneva or the Côte vaudoise is a bright, medium-bodied red with crunchy red fruit, and a few producers in Valais and Geneva make serious old-vine versions with real depth. Geneva also uses it for rosé and for carbonic-maceration wines in the Beaujolais manner.
Expect strawberry, raspberry and cherry, sometimes a peppery or violet note, lively acidity and light, fine tannins. It is a wine for food that is not grand: a plate of charcuterie, saucisson vaudois with papet, grilled sausages, a roast chicken, a quiche or a mild cheese. Serve it cool, around 14 degrees, and drink it young; this is a grape that rewards freshness over patience.