Come and taste two great Gamays – one from the smallest cru in Beaujolais, the other from Central Otago where winemaker Duncan Forsyth from Mt Edward is pioneering this grape. (Nick Mills at Rippon Vineyard is doing likewise and quality is high while quantities remain small and sell mainly at the winery.)

The brand new 2019 Mt Edward Central Otago Gamay is fresh out now and was made from hand picked grapes, all destemmed, with no carbonic maceration used in the production (this is a classic winemaking technique of the Beaujolais region, hence for the Gamay grape, because it lifts fruity aromas and flavours). 

Instead, Duncan of Mt Ed', opted to accentuate the wine's freshness - its acidity - to provide the lift to make Gamay shine. And shine it does, in the new 2019 Mount Edward Gamay, which had minimal sulphur at bottling after being fermented in 40% old oak and 60% stainless steel tanks.

All of the fruit in the new Mt Edward Gamay was grown on the Muirkirk VIneyard on Felton Road in Bannockburn, where there is currently one hectare of Gamay planted and producing - making 400 odd cases. Another hectare of Gamay has now been planted slightly further north near Pisa, Central Otago.

Meanwhile, the 2017 Thivin Cotes de Brouilly (click here to buy) comes from Mont Brouilly, an isolated hill in the heart of the Beaujolais region where Romans planted vines and where wine has been made for literally thousands of years.

Blue stone, granite and clay limestone are the story of Beaujolais' soils and they soak up the sun's rays, reflecting them back onto the vines to aid ripening. 

Chateau Thivin is run by 5th and 6th generation winegrowers, whose ancestors bought the castle and two hectares of vineyards around it on 8 June 1877.

The history of this beautiful chateau stretches back even further than that - but the proof of the pudding is in the bottle. And the 2017 Thivin Cotes de Brouilly is one of our best Beaujolais. 

Come in for a taste and to buy Beaujolais and Gamay on Thursday 21 November from 1pm onwards in store.

All welcome.