Pairing: Cold Beef Sandwich with Light Rye Bread Paired with a 2012 Henry Marionnet “Les Cépage Oubliés” Gamay de Bouze Touraine

Food: A favorite meal from cold leftover roast beef … carve off slices of the meat, spread some rye bread with Dijon mustard and stack the layers of meat on top. Add a little dusting of salt and pepper. A dill pickle and pickled beets on the side. I ask you … What could be better?

Wine: One normally associates Gamay with wines from the Beaujolais wine region south of Burgundy … Gamay being the sole grape used in the production of Beaujolais. However, the wine we are tasting here, Les Cépage Oubliés, is from the Touraine area of the Loire Valley wine region. The vigneron, Henry Marionnet, holds acreage of Gamay in this region. A small part of these vineyards was discovered to be Gamay de Bouze, an old variety (mutation) thought to have originated in Burgundy near the city of Beaune. An interesting note: Somewhat unique to Gamay is that it is a red-fleshed grape producing a bright red wine. Most red wines get their color from the skins not the flesh which is almost always white.

Tasting Notes: The photo above fails to capture the unusual dark ruby red color of this wine. A bouquet of sweet red cherries, pomegranate, and new leather is wonderful. On the palate one gets cherry leather, red licorice sticks (really … do you remember those from our childhood?), and soft tannins that contribute an earthy flavor.

The pairing approaches perfection (he says humbly). All the foods on the plate harmonize beautifully with each other. And the wine plays off the beef, rye bread and Dijon mustard so nicely to bring them to a new level of flavor. Simplicity yields unexpected delight.

Other Wines That Pair Well with a Cold Beef Plate: Pinot Noir (Oregon), Barolo (Italy), Zinfandel (California), Malbec (Argentina)

Other Food That Pairs Well with a Gamay: Charcuterie, Grilled Sausage, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Macaroni and Cheese

View the Lovely Cher Valley Wine Region: Cher Valley

A Source:  www. klwines.com