
Orange. It’s the international color of sunsets and warmth. It’s the color of all the best things, really. Think: crunchy fall leaves, macaroni and cheese, cute calico cats...But it’s probably not the first thing you think of when considering wines. Turns out, however, that maybe it should be. (Just trust us on this one, we would never lead you astray, especially when it comes to wine). We know exactly what you’re thinking – just how good could orange wine possibly be? Orange wine has an intriguing history along with a comprehensive production line. Don’t let fear hold you back from giving this vino on the block a shot. Orange wines are here to stay. Traditionally from Eastern European countries like Georgia and Slovenia, today orange wines are produced around the world. Orange wines are made like red wines, but using white grapes. After the white grapes are pressed, the skins are kept in contact with the juice throughout fermentation (this could be for days, weeks—sometimes even months). By leaving the skins to soak with the grape juice, the end result is a wine that’s robust with expressive tannins and, yes, orange hues. There is significant misinformation surrounding orange wines, mainly because they’ve only been relevant since the 21st century. Although there is a deep-rooted history behind orange wines, their evolvement has been truly profound during the past 20 years. Let’s not forget, 20 years ago people were terrified of the Internet and now we can’t live without it. It’s no coincidence orange wines have become more and more popular during this #trendy time. How exciting that we have significant involvement, evolution and progression with what is now known to be the fourth color of wine! Anyway, enough of the history talk, back to these fantastic wines. With a booming, dry and tropical flavor, orange wines have a way of twisting their intensity into a single glass. What makes orange wine so unique is its broad flavor profile depending on which white grapes are used: stone fruit, citrus fruit, tropical fruit, honey, minerality, hazelnut, you name it! Depending on which white grapes are used in production, you’ll notice unexpected bold flavors in a seemingly innocent wine. Orange wines need not be considered a novelty anymore. Pascaline Lepeltier, the wine director at Rouge Tomate in Chelsea, New York, decided to add a significant amount of orange wine to her restaurant’s list because she believes this wine is underestimated and often misrepresented. In a restaurant setting, orange wine should almost be a given, as it is actually an incredibly easy and versatile wine to pair food with. This robust wine is best when paired with bold foods because their components will harmonize to create a fearless concentration of flavors. Beginning with Morocco for a taste of curry, cruising over to Ethiopia for Injera - authentic pancakes, flying to Korea to indulge in fermented Kimchi and then landing safely in Japan for historic soybeans...there are endless pairings for our trendy orange vino. This hot wine is going nowhere, and we are so here for its abundant flavors, history and authenticity. Have you tried orange wine yet? Let us know what you thought by leaving us a comment below! Cheers!
Sources: http://imbibemagazine.com/five-to-try-orange-wines/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-15/orange-wine-has-finally-arrived-here-are-seven-bottles-to-buy http://www.decanter.com/features/orange-wines-it-s-time-to-get-in-touch-245524/ http://winefolly.com/review/orange-wine/ |