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Summer's Still Here – Must-Try Orange Wines

Before summer finishes, I figured it would be good to highlight a few orange wines, that are perfect for the warm weather and can kind of ease us into the changing of the season. Orange wines seem to be becoming increasingly popular, but it is a technique that has always been around. The wine gets its orange color due to the skin, stems, and seeds being left on the grapes while fermenting, rather than being taken off or out. This can provide the wines with all sorts of different routes for flavors and interpretation and making each one of them unique.

Dry Creek Valley is a region out in Sonoma California that produces some of our most beautiful domestic wines. Breaking Bread Marmalade being one of those bottles. It is hazy and unfiltered, giving it a fun look. This wine is full of citrus and zest. It does quite literally taste like its name. As far as pairing this wine, it can be paired with pretty much any food. I would enjoy some spicy Asian food with this, or pairing it up with a pool, and a cooler.

The next orange wine in the spotlight is going to be Sfera Macerato. It is a one-liter style bottle, that comes with a bottle cap on top. This wine is coming out of Puglia, Italy which is in the south on the heel of county. This light 12% wine is everything, but hard to drink. The grapes are sourced from high altitude, with ocean air making this very crisp and refreshing. Notes of apricot, and almonds, and very low tannins are what make this wine so crushable and perfect for this time of year. I would love to indulge in some Shiny Dimes Oysters, and or a nice charcuterie board with some native olives and cured meats.

The last wine to be in the spotlight Is going to be The Vice Pickle Ball. This orange wine is coming out of Napa, so close to where we are finding Breaking Bread. But this wine is going to be more like the Sfera over the Breaking Bread. The Vice is layered with notes on the nose, and the palate, truly making it an elite orange wine. It is florally, as well as citrusy, and zesty. It has a very long finish that can almost have a sweeter almondy, and toasty finish. Last time I enjoyed this wine, I have it out by the grill while I was grilling some lemon shrimp and veggie skewers. It doesn’t take a lot, but it went great together and just enhanced the time.

Next time you are on the hunt for something new to try, broaden the horizon and check out some of our orange wines. They might just surprise you, and if you are already an orange wine fan make sure to check these three out, as they are some summer must tries! Please feel free to give suggestions or recommendations of things you would like to see highlighted in the wine blurb.

 ~Tanner