Gamay Beaujolais
Encyclopedia
Gamay Beaujolais is a varietal designation for a Californian grape
variety that is an early ripening clone of Pinot noir
.
of the American
viticulture
, Paul Masson
, brought with him several Burgundian grapes for his winery in California
. One of those grapes he believed to be the Gamay
variety from the Beaujolais
region in France
, which in the 1940s University of California at Davis (UCD) researchers christened "Gamay Beaujolais". In the late 1960s, UCD scientists decided that Gamay Beaujolais was a clonal selection of Pinot noir, and that California's version of the true Gamay was in fact the Napa Gamay. In fact the Napa Gamay isn't the true Gamay either, it was subsequently found to be the Valdiguié grape from Languedoc-Roussillon
.
(TTB) has been discouraging the use of the term 'Gamay Beaujolais'. They ruled that from 1997 it could only be used as a secondary designation on wines made from more than 75% Pinot Noir
or Valdiguié, and from April 2007 the term 'Gamay Beaujolais' has been banned from labels.
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
variety that is an early ripening clone of Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
.
History
In the late 1930s an early pioneerSettler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
, Paul Masson
Paul Masson
Paul Masson was an early pioneer of California viticulture and successful popularizer of Californian sparkling wine.-Biography:...
, brought with him several Burgundian grapes for his winery in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. One of those grapes he believed to be the Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
variety from the Beaujolais
Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes...
region in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which in the 1940s University of California at Davis (UCD) researchers christened "Gamay Beaujolais". In the late 1960s, UCD scientists decided that Gamay Beaujolais was a clonal selection of Pinot noir, and that California's version of the true Gamay was in fact the Napa Gamay. In fact the Napa Gamay isn't the true Gamay either, it was subsequently found to be the Valdiguié grape from Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
.
Use on labels
The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade BureauAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury....
(TTB) has been discouraging the use of the term 'Gamay Beaujolais'. They ruled that from 1997 it could only be used as a secondary designation on wines made from more than 75% Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
or Valdiguié, and from April 2007 the term 'Gamay Beaujolais' has been banned from labels.