Gamay
Gamay probably comes from Dalmatia, a region in Croatia on the Adriatic Coast. In any case, that is where the vine variety that was planted in the Lyon area in the 3rd Century comes from. It would then have spread across firstly to Beaujolais and then to Maçonnais before getting to Bourgogne where the small village of Gamay that gave it its name can be found. More productive than pinot noir, numerous wine makers adopted it with great enthusiasm. But Gamay's beautiful story nearly came to an end in 1395, when King Philippe le Hardi condemned it to be ripped up, saying it was an unfaithful plant. This sort of persecution carried on until the 19th Century when it finally got a better reputation. It was at this time that Gamay appeared in Valais. Alexis Joris from Valais who was exiled in Drôme took a few cuttings and sent them to Sion. In 1857, the first bottles of dole were presented at the Agricultural Exhibition in Bern. It was named grosse-dôle (big dole) (as opposed to petite-dôle (small dole) which is pinot noir.
This wine variety is of first in the late stage of ripening, gamay ripens at the same time as chasselas. It resists quite well to winter frosts, but shows on the other hand some sensitivity to spring frosts due to early budding. Gamay is affected by some other weaknesses: millerandage is very common and you have to watch out for mildew and rot when the grapes have ripened. A gamay vine can be recognised by its smooth, hairless leaves which are almost round, and have three lobes which are slightly perforated. The cylindrical bunch of grapes is rather compact. The medium-sized round or slightly egg-shaped grapes are a beautiful violety black colour.
Gamay has found ideal growing conditions in Valais in the Fully area in soil which is slightly chalky and rich in granite and gneiss. That is where this vine variety developed its most famous characteristic, its wonderful aromas similar to small red fruits. But it can of course grow well in other parts of the canton. The range of gamays in Valais is vast. The wine maker can obtain a deliciously fresh wine, and he can also, depending which techniques he uses, obtain a more full-bodied or fruitier (strawberry, raspberry, but also blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry) gamay which has a touch of spice and good, clean acidity accompanied with a firm tannin which is unique to this vine variety.
There are 881 hectares of gamay in Valais, occupying 17% of the surface area of our vineyards. It is the third most popular vine variety (after pinot noir and chasselas). The gamay culture is in a slight decline as 96 hectares disappeared between 1991 and 2002. If we were to count the 40,000 hectares of gamay in the world, most of them are to be found in France where gamay occupies 35,600 hectares. 25,000 of them are to be found in the Bourgogne-Beaujolais area alone. Another area of importance is the Loire Valley where they have allocated 5,500 hectares.
With 2,200 hectares in Switzerland, it is the second country in the world as far as gamay is concerned.
Gamay is a good all-round pleasurable wine. Depending on how concentrated it is it could be drunk with a Saint-Pierre fillet, cold meats, roasted poultry, white meat and with mild cheese. And why not enjoy a glass of very fruity gamay with a dessert of black and red berries?