Gamay

[ ga-mey, gam-ey ]

noun

1. a grape grown especially in the Beaujolais region of France and in N California.
2. the dry red wine made from this grape.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gamay¹

< French gamay, gamet, after Gamay, a village in St.-Aubin commune (Côte-d'Or), France

Example Sentences

He also denounced the use of organic fertilizer for grapes, charging it with passing on nasty flavors, and sellers who allegedly mixed hot water with Gamay wine to hide its bitterness, only for the drink to later revert to its original state and become "quite foul."

From Salon

Most poorer vignerons, more concerned about feeding and sheltering their families than the lofty ambitions and tastes of a royal prince, appreciated the Gamay for its easy harvest and high yield, which offered a reprieve that the temperamental and needy Pinot could not provide.

From Salon

On July 31, 1395, the Duke of Burgundy declared a war of annihilation on an "evil and disloyal" enemy and invader: a purple, acidic grape known as "Gamay."

From Salon

According to the ordinance issued by Philip the Bold, Gamay not only threatened the livelihoods of honest vignerons who used higher-quality grapes, but also ruined Burgundy's reputation for fine Pinot Noir wines with its bitter taste and apparently harmful effects on public health.

From Salon

In order to safeguard the esteemed Pinot Noir and the well-being of Philip's people, the ordinance declared, all Gamay vines were to be cut down within a month and completely uprooted by the following Easter: "ripped out, eradicated, destroyed, reduced to nought ... forever."

From Salon