The red grape variety originates from France. Synonyms grouped alphabetically by country are Mourvèdre d'Afrique (Algeria); Napa Gamay (Australia, Brazil); Aramon du Sud-Ouest, Brocol, Brocol Venant, Cahors, Cot de Cheragas, Côte Verte, Faldeguir, Folle Noire, Gros Auxerrois, Gros Okserna, Isabelle, Jan Pierrou, Jasmin, Moutet, Noir de Chartres, Panse, Plant de Cros, Plant de la Roxo, Plant du Midi, Quercy, Valdiguer, Valdiguier, Venant du Lot (France); Napa Gamay, Gamay 15 (California). It should not be confused with the Cot (with synonyms Cahors, Noir de Chartres), Cot de Cheragas, Gamay or Monastrell (Mourvèdre) varieties, despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities.
According to one hypothesis, it was found around 1845 by a Jean-Baptiste Valdiguié (+1864) in a vineyard in the commune of Puylaroque (Tarn-et-Garonne). According to a second hypothesis, it was found by one Guillaume Valdiguier in the commune of Aujols in the Lot department, a little to the east. The parentage is unknown; the parent-offspring relationship with the Mérille variety suspected by Pierre Galet (1921-2019) has not yet been confirmed by DNA. The variety was a crossing partner in the two new varieties Melnik 82 and Ranna Melnishka Loza.
The medium to late ripening, high-yielding vine is resistant to powdery mildew. It produces light red wines with moderate alcohol and tannin content and is therefore also popular for rosé wines. During the US Prohibition (1920 to 1933), it became very popular in California under the name Napa Gamay and still occupied around 2,500 hectares at the end of the 1990s. The true identity of the variety was only discovered in 1980 by Pierre Galet. The stock has drastically reduced, in 2010 there were still 126 hectares, in 2016 no more stock was recorded (?). A small population is also said to exist in Brazil. The variety was widespread in the south of France and still occupied almost 5,000 hectares of vineyards at the end of the 1950s. This is also indicated by the synonym Plant du Midi (Plant of the Midi). However, the population in south-western France (Tarn), Languedoc and Provence had shrunk to 134 hectares by 2016 (Kym Anderson).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
