Gamay pairs well with warmer days

As we near the season that some call spring — though in Calgary it’s more like winter lite — I like to shift to what I call transition wines. Lighter, fresher wines that pair well with warmer temperatures.

When it comes to reds, one of the great transition grapes is Gamay, made famous in France’s Beaujolais region. Gamay produces wines deep in colour, almost purple, and light in tannin.

In many cases the focus is on freshness. Winemakers even use a special fermentation technique, called carbonic maceration, to amplify the fruit flavours and minimize the tannin extraction.

A lighter-bodied, slightly chilled Gamay is a great party wine that matches well with many foods. And not all Gamaybased reds are simple. Some of the best regions of Beaujolais, located around 10 villages known as the Crus, offer serious wines that can age for several years.

And great Gamay is not just the found in Beaujolais. The earlier ripening red is a good match for Canada, too.

There really is something for everyone. M& C Lapierre

2015

Morgon

Beaujolais, France

The Lapierre family boasts a history of winemaking in Beaujolais dating back to the early 1900s. But it was third-generation winemaker Marcel Lapierre who changed the direction of the winery, and in many minds, the entire region.

Lapierre stood against the mass commercialization of wine in the region that followed the Second World War. Many wineries embraced the use of fertilizers and other chemicals to boost production levels of often uninteresting wine.

Lapierre, who took over the family winery in 1973, eschewed chemicals and industrial yeasts, producing what are known as natural wines from organic grapes. A highly divisive practice in the wine world, natural winemaking means no artificial chemicals are used, including sulphur dioxide that is relied upon to stabilize wines, preventing them from spoiling in bottle.

Proponents of natural wines say it is the ultimate form of winemaking, truly delivering what the terroir provides. Opponents say the tendency for wines to become oxidized — going bad, essentially — spoils the drinking experience.

Despite the turmoil, Lapierre and a small group of like-minded winemakers started producing wines with character, bringing acclaim to the area. While Lapierre died in 2010 from cancer, his wife Marie and son Mathieu continue to produce the wines Marcel made famous.

From their home base in the Cru village of Morgon, this red boasts bright fruit flavours of strawberry, raspberry and cherry, with a touch of mint or menthol. Sort of like a cherry cough drop. A darker ruby colour, it is dry, with medium tannins and a lasting finish.

Price: About $39. Look for it at the Aspen Wine and Spirits, Bin 905, BK Liquor, Co-op Wines Spirits Beer, Crowfoot Centre Liquor Store, CSN Wine and Spirits, Eastport Liquor Store, Highlander Wine and Spirits, J. Webb Wine Merchant, Kensington Wine Market, Metrovino, Oak and Vine Wine and Spirits, Vine Arts Wine and Spirits, VR Wine, Willow Park Wines and Spirits, Zyn the Wine Market. Drink: Now. Enjoy it with roast turkey, pizza or Chinese takeout. Cork; 13.5 per cent alc./vol.

Clos de la Roilette 2015 Fleurie

Beaujolais, France

The legend goes the owner of this vineyard was not impressed in the 1920s when officials declared his grapes would be considered the product of the Cru village of Fleurie, instead of the more highly regarded Moulin-a-Vent as previous. In protest, he chose to name his wine after his favourite racehorse — Roilette — rather than the region of Fleurie. The horse remains on the label today, despite the fact Fernand Coudert purchased the winery in 1967.

Managed by Fernand’s son Alain since 1991, the Clos de la Roilette produces some of Beaujolais’ best wines. Fermented on native yeasts, it boasts firm structure and luscious fruit, showing elements of a Pinot Noir from Beaujolais’ northern neighbour of Burgundy.

Look for intense flavours of black cherry, earth, black raspberry, red plum and a touch of mint. From an outstanding vintage, the wine is medium-full bodied and dry, with a long finish raised by refreshing acidity. It’s an absolute steal of a wine. And for a few dollars more, the Cuvee Tardive, made from 80-year-old vines, delivers serious ageability. Price: About $27. Look for it at all locations of J. Webb, Metrovino and Richmond Hill Wines. Drink: Now, or leave it alone for five or six years. Enjoy it with duck in a cherry reduction, prime rib or grilled lamb. Cork; 13 per cent alc./vol

Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2015

Gamay Noir

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moving away from Beaujolais, one of the top Gamay producers in Canada is Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars. Located near Okanagan Falls in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Blue Mountain winemaker Matt Mavety shows Canadian Gamay to its full potential.

Made from vines between eight and 26 years old, it was fermented using native yeasts. In fact, all the wines at Blue Mountain were fermented from indigenous yeast in 2015. A practice gaining in popularity in the valley, it’s believed the yeasts found on the grapes, stems and in the air around provide a more authentic terroir experience.

Medium-full bodied, the dark ruby Gamay tempts the palate with vibrant flavours of crème de cassis, black raspberry, strawberry, earth and a touch of menthol. It delivers a lot of bang for moderate bucks and can sit solidly beside the best of the Beaujolais Crus.

Other Canadian wineries producing Gamays to look for include Chateau des Charmes and Malivoire in Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula and Robin Ridge in the Similkameen Valley of B.C.

Price: About $28. Look for it at J. Webb Wine Merchant and select restaurants.

Drink: In the next three years. Try it with Coq au Vin, duck confit or chicken liver pate. Cork; 13.5 alc./vol.