Why Gamay Overdelivers as a House Red Wine
If you're looking for lighter red under $15, go with Gamay over Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir may be the most popular lighter-bodied red option, but I don’t often find bottles I’m excited about for under $15. For a grape that consistently over delivers at that price, I recommend Gamay, best known as the signature grape of Beaujolais. These wines tend to be refreshing, food friendly, and completely crushable — they’re the original Paris bistro wines for a reason. While Beaujolais has countless excellent Gamays, these days, I’m looking farther afield.
IMHO, the best $12 Gamay on the market is Terres Blondes, from the Loire.
I’d be happy to sip this wine over and over, paired with just about anything, from salads to roasted chicken to pasta. It’s fresh and juicy with bright flavors (cranberry + strawberry + orange rind) and lively acidity. The wine is made by Jean-Sébastien Marionnet, who specializes in Gamay wines. At Domaine de la Charmoise in the Loire, his family has been making wine since 1850, with a long legacy of organic practices. Marionnet makes this wine as a side project, sourcing fruit from around the Touraine.
But let’s take a step back and get to know Gamay, so you can buy with confidence.
Here’s what to know:
Gamay is a grape, a light bodied variety native to the Beaujolais region in France, to the south of Burgundy. These tend to be fresh, juicy wines that are versatile and gulpable because of the cool production technique — semi-carbonic maceration — used to make them. In a tank, bunches of grapes are covered with carbon dioxide gas so individual grapes (in the top third of the tank) ferment inside their own skins, while those below are crushed and go through native yeast fermentation. There are a couple of different styles:
Beaujolais Nouveau wines are the lightest and fruitiest. Think of these like baby wines — they ferment for just a few days, then are bottled up and sold, meant for immediate consumption. You can find these wines for under $10. They’re the ultimate cheap and cheerful wines, often sporting aromas of pear and banana hard candies.
Moving a step up in price and seriousness are Beaujolais Villages wines; these are a sweet spot for value. The wines are also made using semi-carbonic maceration but they ferment for longer, developing more tannins and a fuller body. These wines are widely available from some of the bigger producers and co-ops, like Louis Jadot and Bouchard Père et Fils.
At the higher end are Beaujolais Cru wines, which are more serious wines. They tend to have a fuller body and more structure. These wines are often made using fruit from older vines, and feature some oak aging, making them more complex and age-worthy. These bottles often sell for $20 or more and are labeled with individual appellations like Fleurie and Morgon. They’re also fantastic values.
Whether from the Loire, Beaujolais, or other regions (like New York’s Finger Lakes), Gamays are generally well priced and easy drinking. Even at higher price points, these are among the most versatile, food-friendly, and sippable lighter reds.
As you can tell, I’m a fan.
More bottles to try:
Drouhin Beaujolais Villages ($14): I’ve visited this organic and biodynamic estate in Burgundy, which is now being run by the fourth generation of the Drouhin family. The name Drouhin is generally known for its high caliber Burgundy wines, but even this humble Gamay wine delivers excellent value. It’s light bodied and fresh, with red fruit flavors (raspberry + cherry) and a silky texture.
Domaine de la Madone 'Perreon' Gamay ($14): This is a killer value, a little more structured and serious than the others, but still super versatile and drinkable. It’s lively and fresh with darker fruit (black cherry + blueberry) and a medium body. Domaine de la Madrone is owned by a family that farms its steep hillside vineyards organically. Most of the vines are 40-plus years old.