Being an adult means I can have wine whenever I want, like at noon on Monday, so that's exactly what I did :)
Beautiful orange Gewurztraminer (with a little bit of Auxerrois and Pinot Gris). Only 4 days of skin contact, but look at this color! Perfect for still uncomfortably hot day off - another win for Alsace in my book!
Edit: left a bit of it for today, and it was still lovely!
Tonight I'm having another orange wine: 2022 Papari Valley Chinuri-Rkatsiteli by 3 Qvevri Terraces.
Orange, hint of mushrooms and smoke, on the palate surprisingly tannic, but pleasant with notes of peach, orange peel and tea. Sadly, among the orange wines I've tried recently it's not particularly remarkable, but it doesn't mean it's bad at all - quite nice on a hot summer evening!
Tonight's dinner bottle came here all the way from Morava in Czechia - it's a 2021 Veltlin Orange by Vinařství Kacetl, a 100% Grüner Veltliner (grooves for short ;))
On the nose it gives sour orange and lemon, with a hint of moss and a tiny bit of yeast. Palate is refreshing, but less citrusy than the nose would suggest, with nice tannic structure and a taste of soup stock that balances the acidity quite well. Quite nice!
Today's bottle with dinner is 2022 Ex Alba by Podere Pradarolo - a long maceration 100% Trebbiano orange wine.
Nose of orange peel with a bit of pear and a hibt of yeast, palate is very well balanced, with bright refreshi g acidity and flavors of orange, pear, stone fruit, a hint of grass and some minerality.
Very, very tasty, absolutely lovely on a warm summer evening.
Today, with dinner: 2022 Pierre Frick Pinot Gris Maceration.
A wonderful, deep amber color, with nose of citrus and orange, with a slight hint of that typical Alsace petrol.
Palate is a big surprise: orange wines can be harsh, but this one is silky smooth and surprisingly well integrated. Again orange, a bit of ink, hint of minerality. Wonderful!
Today's bottle is 2021 Orion, by one of my favorite producers: Maurer Oszkar from Serbia.
Nose of orange marmalade, herbs and a hint of kerosene, palate of orange, orange peel, herbs, apricot and honey. Absolutely wonderful!
These start to feel like shouting into a void, but here's a spectacular Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris and Pinot Noir (among others) orange wine from Alsace (it's more amber and less pink irl): Les Vins Pirouettes Qvevri de Stéphane 2020. Hand-picked and aged in Georgian amphoras under ground.
Amazingly warm, cozy and delicious flavors - definitely a recent favorite!
Got an interesting one today: Podere Pradarolo Vej Bianco Antico 2022 - a beautiful Malvasia orange with 240 days of skin contact.
Fascinating nose, with notes of yeast and hops - almost like a beer! Palate gives orange, lychee, maybe even a bit of tea? Nice long finish too - delicious!
Today, with dinner - 2021 Matiashvili Amber. Heard of big bold reds? This one is a big bold orange ;) Gorgeous color, 16.2 ABV (!) and drinks almost like a red too - delicious.
Shown here in my favorite orange wine glass made by Rona - machine-made, but feels almost handmade.
tofu