Orange wine is not my jam. But it might be yours.
Almost all of the wine tastings I’ve attended recently have included at least one orange wine. The most recent event had three orange wines, one of them sparkling.
Orange wine is trendy.
Why? Probably because it’s refreshing and quite drinkable. And fun. I mean it’s a wine. That’s orange.
It’s not made from oranges, if that’s what you’re thinking. This is actually a wine made from a white grape, and those grapes are fermented while still wearing their skins, giving the wine an amber, orange-ish color.
Most people report the primary flavors of a bruised apple or a jackfruit. I taste honey when I sip an orange wine. The breaking bread orange wine, Marmalade, is one I tried at last weekend’s tasting at Serpentine, my favorite wine and plant shop in Gainesville. It was full of papaya aromas and other tropical scents. It was sweet on the palate, which is notable, because most orange wines are not so sweet at all.
Orange wine may be all the rage now, but it’s been around for 5,000 years. The greater Caucasus region (think Georgia, the former Soviet republic surrounded by mountains and Black Sea beaches) is where it reportedly began, and they still make some great ones today.
Marmalade by breaking bread
I don’t personally love orange wine in general, but I did enjoy the Marmalade. It’s made with a fabulous lineup of grapes:
- Muscat Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
This is a wine that’s just right for Florida. It’s just right for summer. Even if you don’t want to jump on the orange wine bandwagon, I strongly suggest having some on hand for your al fresco dining or even something to sip while you cook. As the kids say, it’s bussin.’
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