Valdiguié

Valdiguié is a red wine grape of Vitis vinifera, mainly grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where it is generally known as Gros Auxerrois. In the city of Gaillac, it is known as the Brocol, and in California, it is commonly known as Napa Gamay or Gamay 15. Until 1980, Napa Gamay was believed to be the Gamay of the Beaujolais wine, but following genetic analysis, the name 'Napa Gamay' has been banned on all labels on wine in the United States since January 1999. Confusingly, both the Pinot Noir clone, Gamay Beaujolais and 'Napa Gamay' could be labelled 'Gamay Beaujolais', which was banned on labels as of April 2007.

Other names include Valdiguer, Cahors, Jean-Pierrou at Sauzet, Quercy, and Noir de Chartres.

Description
Valdiguié was first commercially propagated in 1874, though its origin remains unknown. Three main theories were created as of its origin:


 * Herrn Valdiguié (1745-1817) selected a seedling from the Merille variety.
 * Guillaume Valdiguié found it in the vineyard of the Templar monastery in Aujols.
 * Jean Baptiste Valdiguié found it in a vineyard in Puylaroque and sold it in 1874.

The grape produces medium to large clusters of its dark blue-black fruit. It is a highly yielding vine that is fairly resistant to powdery mildew.

Cultivation and winemaking
Valdiguié wines are dark in color and low in alcohol. The wines are most often of light to medium body and are usually made in a style similar to the true Gamay of Beaujolias.

Some producers of Valdiguié wine, such as J. Lohr, utilize carbonic maceration to produce a wine with a deep, purple-red color and a fruity taste, with flavors of berries and black cherries.

In France, Valdiguié has a reputation as a workhouse variety used to attract grants from the European Union, who turned it into industrial alcohol.