We had one of our periodic social distancing dinner parties in our back yard with a couple we have known for over 30 years that is retiring southwards. They always bring us a bottle of oddball wine despite our standing request that we want to be as net negative as possible. Today it was a bottle of Gamay from The Loire. Terres Blondes Gamay. I did not even know they grew Gamay in The Loire, let along bottle it as a red wine. I see that Rose d’Anjou seems to be a Gamay from The Loire, but red wine? Anyone have any serious experience with this?
Yes they do! I had one a few months ago from a producer who’s name escapes me because I didn’t take notes or log it into CT. Bought it from Vinopolis here in Portland and paid around $17 for it and it was delicious. I’ll ask them what producer it was the next time I drop by the shop and will post the name.
It’s pretty common and often blended with Côt, Pineau d’Aunis, and/or Cabernet Franc. Most of my Loire Gamay and Gamay blends are bottled as Vin de France, though the grapes mostly originate from Touraine.
Look for red wine from the “Côte Roannaise” AOP. Made form Gamay, and while it is the Loire Technically it is much closer to Beaujolais than the more famous regions of the Loire…
I do not fashion myself as an expert on every grape grown in every region, and since I find many red wines from the Loire region to be insipid and tasteless, I have allocated my wine education time to more fruitful endeavors. Pun intended.
How did you like the wine? I have had Gamay from the Loire, but not enough to say I have “serious experience” with this grape as I did not find what I tasted to be all that special. I very much prefer to drink Robert’s Cabernet Franc based wines from the Loire, although I cannot believe I am giving him the satisfaction of actually writing this down for him to see.