2022 MNW "Free Gamay, Willamette Valley, Dundee, Oregon

André Hueston Mack had a successful career in finance at Citicorp. He walked away from it to pour wine. It turned out to be the right call. He won Best Young Sommelier in America from the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs while working in San Antonio. That earned him a seat at The French Laundry under Thomas Keller in Yountville. Then Head Sommelier at Per Se in New York City — managing an 1,800-selection, award-winning wine list and consulting with Keller on menu and pairing development. One of the most accomplished sommeliers in American wine history. And then, in 2007, he founded Maison Noir Wines — originally Mouton Noir — and did something the wine industry had not quite seen before: built a premium, terroir-driven Oregon négociant brand that blended wine culture with street culture, punk, hip-hop, and skateboard subcultures through provocative, eye-catching labels that spoke to a younger, more diverse generation of drinkers who had been told, implicitly and explicitly, that fine wine was not for them. As a prominent Black winemaker and sommelier in a historically white-dominated industry, André Hueston Mack holds a genuinely significant place in American wine history. The Free Gamay is one of his best arguments for why wine should be for everyone.

“Free Gamay” is both a wine and a manifesto — a nod to the days when Gamay was a reliable Burgundian workhorse, grown across both Côte d’Or and Beaujolais before the Duke of Burgundy banished it south in 1395 in favor of Pinot Noir. Mack’s version comes from Oregon’s Dundee Hills in the Willamette Valley: electric, light-to-medium-bodied, and impossibly drinkable. Ripe strawberry, bright red cherry, and cranberry on the nose with hints of candied fruit and dried herbs. Spirited acidity and very low, soft tannins on the palate, balanced by a subtle savory earthiness and a dash of Willamette spice. Serve it slightly chilled. Share it with everyone. That’s the whole point.

Wine Details & Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes: Electric and lively with ripe strawberry, bright red cherry, and cranberry on the nose, layered with hints of candied fruit and dried herbs. The palate is crisp and approachable — spirited acidity, very low soft tannins, juicy fruit-forward character balanced by subtle savory earthiness and a dash of Willamette Valley spice. A clean, refreshing, endlessly quaffable finish.

• Origin – Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (négociant; high-quality sourced Gamay Noir grapes)
• Producer – Maison Noir Wines (est. 2007); Black-owned; founded by André Hueston Mack — Best Young Sommelier in America (Chaîne des Rôtisseurs); former Head Sommelier at The French Laundry and Per Se (Thomas Keller); pioneering Black winemaker and cultural bridge-builder between wine and street, punk, hip-hop, and skateboard subcultures
• Varietal – Gamay Noir (100%)
• Style – Dry red wine (light-to-medium-bodied; chillable; electric; crowd-pleasing)
• ABV – 12.8%

Food Pairing

The ripe strawberry, red cherry, cranberry, savory earthiness, and spirited acidity of this Willamette Valley Gamay make it one of the most food-friendly and genuinely versatile reds in the collection — especially when served slightly chilled. Pairs beautifully with charcuterie boards, roasted chicken, and grilled salmon — the low tannins and bright acidity complement both light proteins and rich preparations without overwhelming them. The savory earthiness and dried herb notes make it a wonderful match for mushroom dishes, vegetable tarts, and anything with earthy, umami-driven flavors. Also excellent alongside pizza, casual pasta, and any spontaneous gathering where the wine needs to work for everyone at the table. A natural for Shades of Vino Summer Club selections, chillable red enthusiasts, and introducing someone to the joy of Gamay for the very first time. Serve slightly chilled at 55–60°F.

Occasion

This is your go-to chillable Oregon Gamay — the bottle for Summer Club selections, casual entertaining, adventurous gifting, and sharing with the wine drinker who has been told fine wine is not for them. André Hueston Mack built Maison Noir to prove that wrong — and the Free Gamay is one of the most joyful, approachable, and culturally significant $28 bottles you can open at any table.

Wine Producer / Historical Notes

André Hueston Mack left a career in finance at Citicorp to pursue wine — a decision that led him to San Antonio, then to the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Best Young Sommelier in America title, then to The French Laundry under Thomas Keller in Yountville, and then to Head Sommelier at Per Se in New York City, where he managed an 1,800-selection award-winning wine list. In 2007, he founded Maison Noir Wines (originally Mouton Noir) — a négociant operation leasing land and sourcing premium Willamette Valley grapes — with the explicit goal of making terroir-driven American wine accessible and deeply engaging to a younger, more diverse generation of drinkers. His labels blend wine culture with street, punk, hip-hop, and skateboard subcultures — a deliberately provocative and joyful rejection of the exclusionary traditions that have historically kept fine wine behind closed doors. As a prominent Black winemaker and sommelier in an industry that has rarely made space for him, André Hueston Mack’s work is both remarkable wine and something more: a sustained argument that wine belongs to everyone who loves it.

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