Gamay could be Oregon wine's next great grape

Oregon grape growers have had a penchant for pinot noir since the wine industry started in the 1970s. Fast forward 40 years and another French grape is finding firm footing in local soils.

Gamay, the principle grape of the Beaujolais region, is becoming a more prominent part of Oregon’s wine scene. “It’s a personal favorite for a lot of winemakers,” said Kate Norris, co-founder of Portland’s Division Winemaking Company, Southeast Wine Collective and the upcoming I Love Gamay Festival on May 20-23.

Now that it’s becoming more widely grown, the folks fond of making and consuming its red wine are looking for new ways to share their passion for gamay, or gamay noir, with the masses.

All about gamay

Gamay was first planted in the Willamette Valley in the late 1980s. “What we’ve seen is that there were a few winemakers who were really dedicated to the variety for the past few decades,” said Norris. “In the last five years there’s been this wonderful focus on the grape and its production fueled by rising popularity of high-end Beaujolais cru.” Today there are about 30 Oregon winemakers using gamay to produce wines similar to those found at the southern-most tip of Burgundy.

Read more: http://www.registerguard.com/entertainmentlife/20180509/gamay-could-be-oregon-wines-next-great-grape