The wines were from California, Italy, France and New Zealand. Maison Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages, 2009 France The grapes (Gamay) are gently crushed, an extended maceration of 12-20 days gets you the extraction of color and tannins, then aged in French oak for 8 to 10 months. Great deal at $10. Nice long layered finish.

Cabernet franc grown on limestone from a top grower in Chinon. Fleurie from the edge of Moulin-a-Vent, this is more pinot-like than gamay, structure and elegance over fruit and ebullience. Napanook 2007 cabernet sauvignon : This wine’s list price is about $50 but I’ve seen it online as low as $35. Under $30. Roda I.

The Inniskillin winery itself was created in 1975 by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, across the street on 32 acres of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Gamay. When it was purchased by Albrecht Seeger and his family in 1978, the winery moved to the Brae Burns Estate (where you can find Icewine varitals such as Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Vidal.

As a student in various wine educational programs, yes, I have – and when faced with several wines fitting this description, it can often be choosing between Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Cabernet Franc (assuming it is traditional old world varieties). would not know if they were Gamay, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Franc.

as in pie, as in franc de pied (French rootstock). But a good friend opened a bottle of the 2007 the other night (about $40, imported by KERMIT LYNCH), and it was absolutely lovely. This wine opened slowly, as Foillard's wines tend to do, the nose building to a crescendo of ripe Gamay fruit and flowers, wet stone underneath.

2007 Damien Laureau Savennières Les Gen ê ts , about $28. Les Genêts is aged mostly in tank, and the 2007 it is such a fine wine. Can I take a minute here and say that I LOVE 2007 in the Loire? 2007 Claux Delorme Valençay , about $16, is a delicious blend of Malbec, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir.

2007 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon, Hunter. 2007 Kilikanoon Mort’s Reserve Riesling, Clare Valley. 2007 Seppelt Drumborg Riesling, Henty. 2007 Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Vineyard Riesling, Frankland River, Great Southern. 2008 R Wines Mod Gamay, Geelong. Day One. Day Two. 2006 S.C.

Veronique Drouhin Boss is the winemaker at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon and is co-winemaker at her family’s negociant house in Burgundy, Maison Joseph Drouhin, which a Beaujolais Villages that is particularly lip-smacking in 2007 and is widely available for $9.95. The home of Gamay is Beaujolais, the home of Pinot is Burgundy.

Their 2007 Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling was a perfect example of just how insidious screwcaps are for wine- this wine received 90 points from Josh Raynolds in his International Wine Cellar review in the September-October ’08 issue, and Josh has a great palate. German Riesling. And I really don’t understand why. just don’t get it. The Loire.

It would be far too easy to choose the 2006 Clos Roche Blanche Cot or the 2007 Gamay or a Breton and so I thought, nothing. There is a goregous cabernet franc-ness and underneath is a pure and simple plum. It would be far too easy to choose the 2006 Clos Roche Blanche Cot or the 2007 Gamay or a Breton and so I thought, nothing.

Antoine Arena The Corsican magician 2007 Carco This is a barrel sample, who knows what will happen but glug glug, I say. After tasting the OLIVIER RIVERE Rioja barrel samples for two years in France I got to taste it in bottle right on Lafayette Street. Riviere Rioja Tinto Rayos Uva 2007. Riviere Rioja Tinto Rayos Uva 2007.

This, in my opinion, is the strongest part of the portfolio - the selections from southern France, country wines from the Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillan, and Provence. Such as, in no particular order: 1) 2005 Herv é Souhart VdP Le Souteronne (100% delicious Rhône Gamay). Sadly, this Champagne seems now to have broken the $50 barrier.

The Puzelats grow Pinot Noir, Gamay, Côt (called Malbec in Argentina), Bréton (called Cabernet Franc in the film Sideways ), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris (called Pinot Grigio in Italy), and the rarely seen Pineau D'Aunis and Menu Pineau (called Arbois in the Jura). 2007 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny , $17. It works.

If you're in France, for example, and you exchange $100, you walk away with only 65 Euro, and that's before commissions and fees. 2007 Hofer Gruner Veltliner Trocken (1 liter) $13, Skurnik Imports. 2007 Muga Rioja Rose, $14, Tempranillo, Inc Imports. 2006 Domaine Ricard Le Clos de Variou, $10, Fleet Street Imports (100% Gamay

In case you're not familiar with Jenny & Francois , they import natural wines from all over France, from heavy hitters like Burgundy to unsung heroes like the Côtes de Duras (just northeast of Bordeaux, and considered Southwest France). 2007 Haut la Vigne Côtes de Duras - 50-50 chardonnay and semillon. Maybe a bit of both.

went with a Gamay from the Loire Valley, a glass of 2006 O. loved the "regular" version of this Southwest France gem, so tasting the reserve was a no-brainer. I used to call this kind of post "Recent Sips," but I think I like this better. We went to Rosewater , a neighborhood favorite. Just take a look at their wine list! Beaujolais.

Actually, it's a blend of Pinot and Gamay, so maybe instead I should say that it's the finest under $15 red wine of the season. For red wine Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and the obscure Pineau d'Aunis are allowed. Can you use 99% Pinot Noir and a touch of Gamay? It costs $13.50 Who knows.

couple of tidbits before we get into our real business, just to make sure that we're all on the same page: Gamay is the grape used to make red wine in Beaujolais. Yes, there is some white wine (Chardonnay) made in Beaujolais, but almost 99% of production is red wine, and it's all about Gamay. Don't worry, you haven't missed anything.

One thing I should mention - I did not include red grapes other than Cabernet Franc - no Pinot Noir from Menetou Salon or Sancerre, no Gamay from Anjou.I Amazing value in young drinking Cabernet Franc. There are as of this moment, 96 comments on the companion piece in his blog. That's pretty intense. And $17 - c'mon. Enjoy

NV Renerdat-Fache Bugey Cerdon Demi-sec Petillant , $16 - this is a low alcohol (~7.5%) effervescent rose colored wine from Bugey in eastern France. Made from Poulsard and Gamay, it is sweet, fruity, and funky all at the same time, and pleasantly bubbly. 2005 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet Franc , $13. Just yummy.

They use Malbec, Gamay, and even Cabernet Sauvignon in Muscadet, Anjou, and Saumur. But the dominant red grape in the Loire Valley, the grape that is used to craft the finest of its red wines is Cabernet Franc, known there as Breton. There are many appellations in the Loire Valley and several grapes are used to make red wine.