Gamaret

The Story

In 1970 at the federal research station in Changins, Vaud, viticulturalists André Jaquinet and Dominique Maigre set out to solve a very Swiss problem: Gamay was beloved in western Switzerland but it rotted in the rain and delivered thin colour. Their solution was to cross it with Reichensteiner, a German white grape carrying Botrytis resistance. The result — Gamaret — seemed almost paradoxical: a dark, brooding, tannic red born partly from a white grape.

The variety was registered for protection in 1991 after successful trials on 120+ plots across Vaud, but it took another decade for growers to truly embrace it. Today Gamaret covers approximately 434 hectares in Switzerland — 199 ha in Geneva, 150 ha in Vaud, 108 ha in Valais — making it the fourth most planted red variety in the country behind Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Merlot. That is a remarkable feat for a grape that is barely 50 years old.

What makes Gamaret compelling is the contradiction in the glass. A variety bred partly for disease resistance — normally the marker of a utility grape — delivers wines of genuine ambition: inky violet colour, blackberry and black cherry fruit, pepper and spice, firm tannins, and a structure that rewards oak ageing. Cave de la Côte's Gamaret Réserve was named the best red wine in Switzerland at the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse. Jancis Robinson includes it in her grape reference.

The international creep has already begun. Producers in Beaujolais have grown it since 2008; it is now a permitted component in French AOCs including Languedoc, Loire, and Provence. The Aosta Valley has planted it since 1999, drawn by its performance at altitude and in cool climates. Gamaret is one of the very few 21st-century Swiss crossings to cross a national border with its reputation intact.

Insider Story

The original brief at Changins was not to make a great wine grape. The brief was to make a dyer's grape — a blending component to boost the colour of anaemic Gamay blends. Nobody expected Gamaret to stand on its own. When early trials showed it produced perfectly structured single-varietal wines, it was a surprise even to the breeders.

The second secret is the stem story. Agroscope researchers studying Gamaret winemaking found it responds unusually well to whole-cluster and partial-stem inclusion — something virtually no Swiss producer was doing at the time, since stems are "not much used on Swiss grape varieties." Studies showed 20–40% stem inclusion reduced alcohol, protected colour, and improved tannic integration. The natural wine movement in Geneva has started exploiting this, but most conservative Swiss producers still destem entirely.

Third: Swiss wine is famously unaffordable to export — CHF prices translate badly. But premium Gamaret cuvées from Valais estates like Marie-Thérèse Chappaz and Jean-René Germanier are so rarely exported that international collectors have essentially no access to the top wines. The best Gamaret from Valais costs CHF 40–60 at the cellar door and is almost never seen outside Switzerland.

Technical Deep Dive

Gamaret is a full crossing of Gamay (red) × Reichensteiner (white), bred in 1970 at Agroscope Changins, Pully, Vaud. Sibling varieties from the same program: Garanoir (same parents, earlier-ripening, lower structure) and Mara. Officially released 1991.

Viticulture: Early ripening, high Botrytis cinerea resistance (key in humid Swiss autumns), moderate vigour. Low acid, low sugar compared to many varietals, but Botrytis resistance means it can be left hanging past phenolic ripeness to accumulate sugar naturally. Performs best on well-drained calcareous soils; thrives at 400–700m elevation. Guyot or Cordon training.

Winemaking: Deep violet colour at harvest — one of the most intensely pigmented vinifera varieties. High anthocyanin concentration. Typically vinified with 100% destemming in conservative Swiss cellars, though research confirms 20–40% stem inclusion improves tannic integration. Malolactic always conducted. Premium single-varietal bottlings aged 12–18 months in French barriques (225L), producing wines with tobacco, cedar, and dark chocolate tertiary notes. Early-drinking style: 100% Gamay blending, or longer-aged solo.

Blend partner: Garanoir (its sibling) is the classic pairing — Gamaret provides structure, colour, and spice; Garanoir provides aromatics, fruit, and freshness. The Gamaret-Garanoir blend is sold under an official Wine-Searcher category as a standalone blend type.

Industry Secrets

1. The "fourth red in Switzerland" ranking is more impressive than it sounds — Switzerland only has ~15,000 ha total, and Pinot Noir has a centuries-long head start. Gamaret claimed that rank in under 30 years.

2. It is accepted in Beaujolais AOC blends since 2009 — a French region formally admitting a Swiss crossing is extraordinary. Producers in the Languedoc use it to bolster colour in thin years.

3. Agroscope used Gamaret as a parent for the next generation of fungal disease-resistant varieties (PIWI varieties like Divico) — meaning this "first generation" crossing now has offspring that may eventually supersede it.

4. AXR Napa Valley has released a Gamaret from California (AXR Swiss Gamaret 2020), signalling early American interest.

5. Swiss wine law makes it difficult to export: strict AOC rules, tiny production, high domestic demand. Most serious Gamaret never leaves Geneva or Valais.

More red grapes

• Gamay
• Garanoir
• Garnacha Tintorera
• Ginestra
• Graciano