Orange wine is having a moment in Toronto. Everyone seems to have these skin-contact wines on their lists. Put simply, orange wines are more savoury whites, often smell juicy but aren’t overly sweet. Robust, heady and smoky, they can be very domineering.
They get their orange or amber hue from the vinification process. In typical white wines, the grapes are pressed and then their skin is removed before barrelling. Orange wines, on the other hand, are processed more like reds, with the skin kept on.
Orange wine might be the it-girl in the wine world right now, but it’s been around for over 6,000 years. Here are three orange wines available at shops across the city:
Supernatural Wine Spook Light 2019
The bats on the label and the occult-adjacent name make this wine a perfect fit for at home Halloween festivities. Aromas of wild strawberries, cherries and plums hit the nose before this natural orange wine hits the tongue. Acidity and bitterness from the fermentation process cut a bit of its fruity sweetness. A kiss of spicy pepper finishes it off. The cloudiness is from the sediment collected at the bottom of the bottle. Pair it with a charcuterie spread.
Pinot Gris, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, $45.99. Get it at Grape Crush (1166 Dundas West, grapecrush.wine). Next-day delivery available within Toronto.
Aphros Phaunus Amphora 2018
Pressed by hand and fermented for seven months in clay lined with beeswax; earthy and spicy with notes of honeycomb, tangerine peel and apricot.
Loureiro, Vinho Verde, Portugal, $57. Get it at Boxcar Social Bottle Shop Summerhill location (1210 Yonge, boxcarsocial.ca). Next-day delivery available within Toronto and the GTA.
Cantina Giardino Vino Bianco Magnum 2019
Here’s 1.5L of tropical and juicy orange wine, macerated for two days and barrelled for seven months. Light amber in colour with notes of cantaloupe and pineapple.
Blend of Falanghina, Codi di Volpe and Fiano varietals, Campania, Italy, $87.95. Get it at Paradise Grapevine (841 Bloor West, paradisegrapevine.com). Free Ontario wide shipping available.
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