Listen: Serving Gamay at Thanksgiving is nothing new, but I think people deserve to avoid the bullshit and get the good stuff. Let's start with the basics: Why is gamay so damn good and amazing with this comforting meal? Carbonic maceration y'all, get to know it. It's succulent, incubated, juicy, sensual… It's turkey basted? It's flavor blasted! In a nutshell, carbonic maceration means that the juice that turns to wine ferments inside the intact grape before its pressed… other wine is pressed and then fermented with contact with the crushed skins. It's a little party inside the grape!
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When approaching the world of Gamay, I always say go Cru Beaujolais or go home. No pussy footing around. Beaujolais refers to an area in France that's famous for growing Gamay just south of Burgundy. It's like how a part of upstate New York is called the Adirondacks. What does Cru Beaujolais mean? It means the "crus" are site specific places in Beaujolais with defined borders that are the bees knees, the top dogs, the pearly whirly parts that have more intense and superior terroir /hill/sun/geological positioning.Here they are in one breath, poof!: Julienas/Saint Amour/Chenas/Moulin a Vent/Fleurie/Chiroubles/Morgon/Regnie/Cote de Brouilly/Brouilly!!! Phew—yes, there are ten, and think of them as little villages that all grow GAMAY but their soil structure is slightly different so the nuances will vary. DAMN EXCITING STUFF.One word to the wise: Don't get caught up in this Beaujolais nouveau bullshit. I know, you'll see the alluring display at Trade Joe's and the inexpensive price tag, but what's in that bottle is child's play. I respect the tradition in France, but this is Los Angeles, so let's up our game. Back to the Cru's: I know your dying to know more. This brief study could be an essay, so let me just tell you my favorites and why: it's all about Morgon, Fleurie and Brouilly. Now within these areas, it's all about the producer, so I'll recommend a few because minds are getting bent: Jean Foillard, Jean Louise Dutraive a.k.a. Domaine de la Grand'Cour, Marcel LaPierre, and Jean-Paul Brun. Whatever they make: Buy it. Some of the price points might be a little bit higher, so suck it up. Then, outside of being classified in a cru, there are a few little gems I can't deny. My current value favorite is from Chateau Cambon, some killer Vigneron found a forgotten vineyard between Brouilly and Fleurie and the resurecton is magic in a bottle at a killer price.So back to Thanksgiving and WHY gamay. Well, as my friends and I say: because, GAMAY, or GAMAY forever, but in a lot of senses, it's a perfect red wine. It is easy to drink, smooth, balanced, not sweet, joyful, drinks great young, has intensity but isn't going to overly challenge you. It's best served with a slight chill, and while sitting with friends or family, feeling thankful, it's the perfect mood enhancer… all of these are so naturally driven that they aren't going to corrupt your system with chemicals. They are going to free your mind on a path of reflection so we can all move into 2017 grateful for this fresh start. Thank you Gamay and good night! (mic drop).