Medals for the Best Gamays in the world

The forth International Gamay Competition was held on Saturday 1st February at the Lyon Cité Internationale. The jury was made up of 123 professional tasters, including oenologists, sommeliers, wine professionals and producers, well informed wine lovers and journalists The competition was open to any winemaker in the world whose wines are made using Gamay (85% minimum). 473 cuvées crafted using Gamay grapes were tasted. Ranked in this the forth competition of its kind were 152 winners, of whom 31 were awarded, 47 Or (gold) and 75 Argent (silver) and 30 Bronze.

The results of the forth competition are very encouraging. They illustrate the immense potential of the Gamay grape variety, which can bring us excellent cuvées from around the world. The Gold medals awarded to American or Swiss wines are a really good illustration of this. A real advantage, considering that one of the main selection criteria for a wine is the grape variety in many countries.
The aim then of this competition is to promote Gamay by highlighting a great many of its characteristics, specificities and qualities, especially as it fits perfectly to present consumer expectations. Gamay brings us wines that, in turn, are lip-smacking, fresh and fruity and that can show true ageing potential thanks to great tannic structure. In addition, wines made using this variety are adaptable to any tasting situation or occasion. Gamay’s true added value is authenticity.
The competition also aims to motivate vinegrowers, in France and throughout the world, to plant “Gamay” to produce quality PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) wines.

20 medals awarded to Gamays made outside France
Gamay, the emblem grape variety of the Beaujolais region, is today grown in 32 countries. A reminder that 62 Gamays from 7 countries outside France (Australia, Canada, Croatia, The United States, Italy, The United Kingdom and Switzerland) were presented for tasting.
20 medals were awarded to wines from outside France: 8 Or (gold), 9 Argent (silver) and 3 Bronze. It was the Swiss wines that put all the tasters in agreement, winning 19 of these medals (7 Or (gold), 9 Argent (silver) and 3 Bronze).

132 medals awarded to French Gamays
As far as French wines are concerned, cuvées from Beaujolais, the Loire Valley, the Rhône Valley and the South West earned 132 medals, of which 39 were Or (gold), 66 were Argent (silver) and 27 were Bronze.

After having the Loire Valley region as honorary president of this competition in 2013, this year was the turn of Wine Geneva Wine represented by the vice president of the vineyard’s inter-professional body, Dominique Maigre. This vinegrowing region got great results, reaping 19 medals for the 54 wines entered.
The Beaujolais region gained great acclaim with 111 medals, 35 Or of which were gold.

Sparkling wines: 31% of the wines entered were awarded medals
This year, the competition was opened to quality sparkling wines made using Gamay grapes, whether white, red or rosé. The results show that the gourmet fruitiness of the Gamay grape makes an ideal base to craft these wines from. Of the 16 wines entered, 5 were medal winners.