Orange crush

Our Drinks Editor, James Viner, rings in the new year with five sophisticated on-trend orange wines, including a local cracker from Charing – and suggests the perfect whisky to ‘address the haggis’ this coming Burns Night…

The future is bright; the future is orange! While rosé has long enjoyed popularity, orange wine is (re)emerging as a compelling rival. This trend is driven by a growing demand for more adventurous, minimal intervention options. 

Like red, food-friendly ‘orange’/ ‘amber’ wine is crafted by fermenting white grape juice with skins, seeds, and sometimes stems. This process imparts an orangish tint to the wine, plus added structure and tannins. Several factors, including grape variety, ripeness, vessel choice, maceration duration and extraction methods influence the final colour.

Orange wines offer deeper colours and more intense aromas and flavours than whites, often with pithy notes and slightly lower acidity. Once considered a ‘hipster’ choice, orange wines are slowly going mainstream – as my selection shows. Serve around 12°C-14°C. Happy New Year!

1.  2023 Marks & Spencer Found Organic Verdil, Spain (12%) 

Made from the almost extinct Verdil grape grown at around 750m, this textured, lip-smacking Valencian wine boasts a golden orange hue resulting from around three weeks of skin contact and tastes of quince, lemon balm, lime cordial and apricots. Gently grippy and attractively versatile with food (hello chicken tagine).

£9 Ocado & Marks & Spencer

2.  2023 Côté Mas Orange, Domaines Paul Mas, France (13%)

Scoop up this zesty, wonderfully aromatic, tangerine, slightly musky and sandalwood-scented 2023 from Languedoc. It’s an appetizing mix of 55% Grenache Blanc, 25% Grenache Gris and 20% Macabeu with just a week’s skin contact. A superb introduction to the ‘fourth colour.’ Pour with quiches, grilled fish and mild curries.

£9.99 Waitrose, £1 discount 12.2-11.3 

3.  2023 Cortese Nostru Orange-UTAN Bianco, Italy (12%)

Nab this massively swiggable organic blend of 80% Inzolia and 20% Zibibbo from south-eastern Sicily, which suits fish and mild Asian dishes. The Inzolia was macerated for around two weeks and the Zibibbo for six. Think subtle tea leaf spice, pithy grapefruit, orange peel and apricot. Good immediate drinking with a tapering finale that has you reaching for a second glass.

£14.95 – £17 N.D. John, Dylanwad Wine, Harris & Co., Reserve Wines, Cork of the North

4.  2022 Gérard Bertrand Orange Gold Organic, France (13%)

Gérard Bertrand is a key player in the orange wine market and his innovative Languedoc wines are a joy, especially this zingy, organic, orchard-fruit, apricot, Mirabelle plum, almond and peach-packed gem, made from Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc and Viognier – their skins help turn the wine orange – plus Marsanne, Mauzac, Muscat and Clairette. Very smart. Loves cheese platters.

£12.99 (mix 6) Majestic

5.  2023 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Orange, USA (11.5%)

With around two weeks of average skin contact, this tangy Californian blend of Grenaches Blanc and Gris, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Orange Muscat offers a lighter take on orange wine — delightful yet accessible, delivering aromas and flavours of quince, potpourri, mango, kumquat and mango. Quite the seducer. Kudos Tesco!

£15 Tesco

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@QuixoticWines

Must Try Local Orange Wine

Burns Night Dram

Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (40%)