Results of the 2019 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)

Gamay

Category Overview by Judge Janet Dorozynski

Good gamay can be great though unfortunately the grape is still misunderstood or plagued by the stigma of the grape-y bubble gum juice of Beaujolais Nouveau of the past. Producers also say that gamay is a hard varietal wine to sell but with the growing interest by both trade and consumers for lighter bodied and fresher reds, the time is right for gamay and in fact has been getting even better since I first coined the rallying cry #gogamaygo in 2012.

(Jump straight to the medal winners.)

The gamay grape produces wines that are lighter in colour, with fresh acidity and juicy berry, cranberry flavours and a touch of spice. It’s not as precious to grow as pinot noir and benefits from crop thinning in the vineyard to temper its vigorous growth and ensure uniform ripeness and concentration.

Gamay’s homeland is Beaujolais but it is grown in diverse pockets across the globe from New Zealand to South Africa to Chile and beyond. In Canada, gamay grows primarily in Ontario (550 acres) with smaller amounts in BC (less than 200 acres), Quebec, Nova Scotia and even in Prince Edward Island. Stylistically it ranges from crushable summer sippers, that are best slightly chilled, to complex, concentrated wines that are oak aged and serious enough to stand up to some time in bottle.

This year’s gold medals come from the warmer mid to southern reaches of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley though wonderful examples abound from several of the Niagara Peninsula sub-appellations becoming better known for reds (Lincoln Lakeshore, Four Mile Creek and St. David’s Bench) as well as the Similkameen Valley in BC. What more to say but #gogamaygo!

And the winners are…

Deep Roots 2017 Gamay, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Desert Hills 2018 Gamay Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
JoieFarm 2017 Gamay, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

13th Street 2016 Gamay Sandstone Vineyard, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2017 Gamay Noir Redfoot, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Traynor 2017 Gamay Noir, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

13th Street 2017 Gamay Whitty Vineyard, Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street 2017 Gamay, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Megalomaniac 2017 Gamay Avant-Garde , St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Orofino 2018 Gamay, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Robin Ridge Winery 2016 Gamay, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Rust Wine Co. 2018 Gamay, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2017 Gamay Noir Cherry Avenue Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Three Sisters 2017 Gamay, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius 2017 Gamay Noir, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario