Gamay on SonomaCoast???

We tried last night a Gamay (LaCrotta) from the Val d'Aosta (Chambave). Cold-climate, mountain terrain. I was blown away by the perfume of this wine. An exceptional rendition of Gamay. I've also had a few Swiss Gamays that were most impressive.
Has anyone, that anyone is aware of, given a thought to planting GamayNoir a jus Blanc out on the SonomaCoast?? I know....stupid idea. Why grow GamayNoir, which you would sell at $20/btl, when you can just grow more Pinot, and sell at $80/btl.
I, of course, know of Steve's Bone-Jolly. Followed it from the very start, I did/I did. It's easily the best Gamay being grown in Calif. ElDorado. Not quite as rugged as Val d'Aosta though.
Tom

Has anyone, that anyone is aware of, given a thought to planting GamayNoir a jus Blanc out on the SonomaCoast??

Cellar Tracker shows Gamay Noir from Sonoma County sub-region in stock from five producers in Duxoup, Paul Mathew, Marshall Family Wines, Gundlach Bundschu, Buena Vista.

There are many more listed as variety Gamay but its not clear if this is 'real' Gamay or Gamay Beaujolais ..

Incidentally, GamayNoir a jus Blanc? Why ' a jus Blanc'? Always puzzled me as I can't find any mention of a red juiced version.

Has anyone, that anyone is aware of, given a thought to planting GamayNoir a jus Blanc out on the SonomaCoast??

Cellar Tracker shows Gamay Noir from Sonoma County sub-region in stock from five producers in Duxoup, Paul Mathew, Marshall Family Wines, Gundlach Bundschu, Buena Vista.
There are many more listed as variety Gamay but its not clear if this is 'real' Gamay or Gamay Beaujolais ..
Incidentally, GamayNoir a jus Blanc? Why ' a jus Blanc'? Always puzzled me as I can't find any mention of a red juiced version.

Peter,
GamayNoir a jus Blanc is the full/official name of variety grown in Beaujolais. Don't think there exists a
GamayNoir a jus Rouge or GamayNoir a jus Noir, which would be a tentieur.
I believe that nearly all the Gamay grown in Calif is actually Valdiguie. Steve's planting up in ElDorado is true GamayNoir.
DougTunnell/BrickHouse also has true GamayNoir in OR. But I believe virtually all the Gamay or GamayNoir grown in Calif
is really Valdiguie. Believe you can use either term on the label.
Steve...help us out here.
Tom

Peter,
GamayNoir a jus Blanc is the full/official name of variety grown in Beaujolais. Don't think there exists a
GamayNoir a jus Rouge or GamayNoir a jus Noir, which would be a tentieur.

Indeed, that was my point.

.But I believe virtually all the Gamay or GamayNoir grown in Calif
is really Valdiguie. Believe you can use either term on the label.

The Californian name Gamay Beaujolais was outlawed in 2007: I understand the grape variety labelled thus was usually Valdigue.

No doubt there is a lot of miss-attributed vines, but Valdigue is not allowed as a synonym for Gamay or vice versa.

My assumption on CellarTracker is that wines labelled as Gamay Noir are likely to be 'real' Gamay.

My memory is not what it was.

I forgot about Napa Gamay which was allowed as a synonym for Valdigue until 1 January 1999


Since Gamay Beaujolais (when it wasn't Valdigue) was identified as an early ripening clone of Pinot Noir I can't imagine that any grape growers want to sell these grapes as Gamay when they could sell them as Pinot Noir.

So I think is likely that anyone now making Gamay is using the 'real' Gamay grapes.

My memory is not what it was.

I forgot about Napa Gamay which was allowed as a synonym for Valdigue until 1 January 1999


Since Gamay Beaujolais (when it wasn't Valdigue) was identified as an early ripening clone of Pinot Noir I can't imagine that any grape growers want to sell these grapes as Gamay when they could sell them as Pinot Noir.

So I think is likely that anyone now making Gamay is using the 'real' Gamay grapes.

Peter,
I think Steve would dispute this. I've pulsed him, so he'll be along shortly, I hope.
Tom

Valdiguie can legally be labelled Gamay Noir despite the fact that it is not Gamay. Valdiguie is a very late-ripening grape, and therefore is comfortable in places like Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Napa Valley, Suisun Valley, etc. True Gamay is very early, and in order to grow Gamay so that it doesn't produce too much alcohol, it needs to be in a cooler ripening environment. I established plantings of Gamay above 3,000 feet elevation in the Sierra Foothills for that reason. There was Valdiguie planted east of Placerville back in the 70's that would never ripen, even after hanging through October, because it's such a late grape and it's not hot enough up there. Gamay typically ripens where I have it, early in September (we're picking next week).

Tom, there are Gamay Teinturiers, that's why the distinction "a jus blanc."

Tom, there are Gamay Teinturiers, that's why the distinction "a jus blanc."

Thanks, Steve. Didn't know that. 'Splains a lot. Thanks for chiming in here.
Tom

I was using the TTB list of approved grape variety names where Gamay and Valdigue are not shown as synonyms.

You have to start from the assumption that the TTB knows, for any practical purposes, nothing important about the naming of grape varieties on wine labels. All of the wineries you mentioned that list Gamay Noir wines in their production have disclosed without any hesitation that the grapes they grow are Valdiguie (not Gamay). They're also smart enough to know that if the label says Gamay Noir there will be at least some small measure of recognition among the persons reading that label, which will be exponentially larger than the number who might have any similar response to the name Valdiguie.

You have to start from the assumption that the TTB knows, for any practical purposes, nothing important about the naming of grape varieties on wine labels. All of the wineries you mentioned that list Gamay Noir wines in their production have disclosed without any hesitation that the grapes they grow are Valdiguie (not Gamay). They're also smart enough to know that if the label says Gamay Noir there will be at least some small measure of recognition among the persons reading that label, which will be exponentially larger than the number who might have any similar response to the name Valdiguie.

Gasp....you mean that winemakers would lie thru their teeth and to the Feds in order to sell more wine??? I can't believe that!!
Tom

no lying involved vis a vis the feds; they permit labelling Valdiguie as Gamay Noir. They don't even want to know if it's a different grape or not.