Gamay Rouge

[Randy Caparoso]

You can get the "real thing" from France in most retail stores; most commonly sold as Beaujolais-Villages. Georges Duboeuf is a well known, top brand.

From California, similar reds -- soft, lusciously fruity -- are sold under a synonym of the old Napa Gamay clone known as Valdique. The J. Lohr "Monterey Valdique," for instance, is a first class example that has good national distribution. I also strongly recommend the Gallo-Sonoma Valdique. Because this varietal is not fashionable, it is difficult to find other producers who do as good a job.