In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when I first started getting interested in wines, Gamay was definitely not in style. It was a wine for beginners--a picnic wine. In my old age, I now recognize Gamay as a serious wine grape with distinctive, elegant aromas and flavors, similar to Pinot Noir but good in its own right. The Gamay Noir from Chateau Grand Traverse is now my favorite Michigan red, more like Pinot Noir than the Pinot from the same estate.
Medium crimson. Bright strawberries, red plums, violets and pepper. Good lift and acidity compared to a Willamette Valley Pinot beside it at the table. At five years of age, it is drinking well, probably at or near its pea. The Gamay Noir Limited sells for $18 at the winery but can be had for $15 at many groceries in Kalamazoo, including Crosstown Fresh. It is a regular on my buying list.
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