Hooray, it’s officially spring! And yet the forecast is looking, well, wintery. Of course it is – this is the Northeast, after all. And that’s ok. We’ll get there. With things being neither here nor there, I thought an appropriate Wine of the Week would be an orange wine. You may have seen an orange wine on the shelves of your local wine store and wondered what it was all about. It’s pretty straightforward: an orange wine is a white wine that has been left with some skin contact. Typically white wine grapes are crushed and then pressed before undergoing fermentation. Red wines are crushed, undergo fermentation, and then are pressed. There’s a lot of flavor – and color – in the skins of grapes. These are essential for making most red wines. Turns out they can add a certain “je ne sais quoi” to white wines, as well. Orange wines, like roses, have an extra layer of complexity to them and are fun to sniff and sip and marvel at. They should be treated and served like a white wine – drink when young, serve chilled, pair with anything you’d put lemon on (as a general rule). Oh, and ENJOY! A good starter orange wine that’s readily available is the Gulp/Hablo from Spain. It’s a blend of the grapes Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc, and it’s a real party on the palate, with notes of orange blossom, dried citrus, apricot and some yeasty notes. Cheers!
