The future is bright: Orange wines to see in the last of the summer
OUR expert shows you which orange wines are guaranteed to impress
Rosé has been fashionable for a while now, but pink has a new rival: orange. Wine made from white grapes, but with longer contact between skins and juice, can turn out anything from yellow to deep bronze. It tends to be expensive, and it’s still the province of specialist suppliers, but it might just be the next big thing.
1. Tbilvino Qvevris 2011, Kakheti, Georgia £9, Marks & Spencer, 12.5% alcohol
Made from rkatsiteli grapes, this is a full yellow colour with powerful flavours of apples, pear and spice, a peachy richness and keen acidity.
2. Bernabe Navarro Benimaquia Tinajas 2012, Spain £14.49, www.greatwinesbytheglass.com (020 7727 8142), 12.5% alcohol
A deep bronze colour, this has powerful aromas of sweet peach, apricot and spice. In the mouth it’s dry, with subtle tea notes.
3. Pheasant’s Tears 2011, Kakheti, Georgia £16.99, www.firthandco.com (01677 451952), 12.5% alcohol
Another example of the Georgian rkatsiteli grape, this pricey but impressive wine is amber in colour with a beautiful perfume of spices, peach and pear. It’s grippy and firm with elegant fruit.
4. De Martino Muscat Viejas Tinajas 2012, Itata, Chile £13.99, www.lescaves.co.uk/shop (01483 554750), 13% alcohol
Here’s a muscat from a cool-climate region that spends six months in contact with its grape skins. It’s wonderfully complex, lively and intense, with citrus, pear, grape and mineral notes.
5. La Stoppa Malvasia Ageno 2009, Emilia, Italy £25.99, www.toastdulwich.co.uk (020 8693 9021), 13.5% alcohol
Orange/bronze in colour, this is complex and intense, with notes of tea, medicine, herbs and ripe peaches. It’s only for the adventurous – but once tried, never forgotten.
6. Cos Pithos Bianco Grecanico 2012, Sicily, Italy £23.50, www.highburyvintners.co.uk (020 7226 1347), 10.5% alcohol
Another highly distinctive wine, this is fresh with notes of lemon, yellow plum and white peach, as well as some spice and nuts.
7. Testalonga El Bandito 2010, Swartland, South Africa £26, www.buonvino.co.uk (01729 892905), 13.5% alcohol
This is a deep bronze colour and has amazing aromas and flavours of citrus, spice and raisins, as well as some baked-apple notes.