It is very minorly “orange” but I’ve got the same Sauvignon Musque pressed off immediately and with 24 hours on the skins. We could taste side by side. For anyone at Russian River Barrel Tasting over the next two weekends.
Adam Lee
Siduri & Novy
A lot of feathers were ruffled last month w/ the articles (Betts, Hosemaster, Bonne, and plenty of other stuff on twitter and FB)
I penned a response at http://www.dirtysouthwine.com/my_weblog/2013/01/blood-into-orange-wine-1-week-later.html
I think that’s very true.
Some weeks ago at the Ar Galletto in Rome, I had a starter of swordfish crudo followed by a swordfish steak served with a side of caponata. The synergy between the food and Giusto Occhipinti’s Pithos Bianco was simply spectacular, as good as anything I’ve ever had.
Tvrtko,
I agree that these wines are best with food (but then, I think that of all wine).
But ever since I became interested in them, what as surprised me is how many different foods they go with. Everyone I knew said they were only good with hard cheeses but I found they go with nearly everything but red meat; of course, some go better than others.
Best, Jim
I agree with Jim and Tvrtko and I have found that the Orange wines are some of the most versatile food wines around. They are also very fun wines to make and are always fun to taste with visitors in the cellar. Seeing the reactions of unsuspecting tasters is a blast!
We’re doing an Orange wine dinner here tomorrow in Philly. I’ve always had mixed opinions about the ones I’ve tried, but this will be the first time I’ve had a chance to try a number of different bottlings side-by-side.
However, I do have to say the wine pairing of the year for me last year was an 05 Radikon Collio Ribolla Gialla off the list at Vedge (the famous vegan restaurant), paired with green & yellow zucchinis (imitating fazzoletti), heirloom tomatoes, basil, dried olive, fresh hearts of palm fritters. Everyone agreed: this was the dish of the evening, in part because of the fantastic fritters (Vedge rule of thumb: order fritters), and the perfect in season tomatoes, but also because of the wonderful, completely accidental pairing with the Radikon.
Starters
2002 Movia Puro
2008 Belluard de Savoie Le Mont Blanc Brut Zero
Dinner
2001 Gravner Breg
2002 Gravner Ribolla Gialla
2004 Vodopivec Vitovska
2006 Vodopivec Vitovska
2006 Paolo Bea Arboreus
2007 Vinogradi Fon La Bella
2007 Movia Lunar
2007 Cornelissen Munjebel Bianco
2009 Scholium Project Prince In His Caves
Dessert
2007 Dettori Moscadeddu
I remember that pairing, a nice surprise.
Please post the tasting notes from your dinner.
I found this thread when I searched the forum for opinions on Cornelissen Munjebel Bianco (that I picked up a bottle of today), and I like the discussion.
I admit I like orange wines, although I’ve had some poor ones (quality), some oxidized ones, some that had lots of brett (I can’t wrap my head around the level of brett some people are willing to consider charming) and even once a tasting/lecture on them with a corked one (TCA) that everyone except the lecturer agreed was corked. He said: “you have to tolerate some variation in natural wines”. At which point I just shook my head at the natural wine movement.
Anyway, my biggest concern about orange wines is that they seem overprized for their quality compared to reds and whites. Low to medium quality is priced like medium to high quality (good village chablis or 1er cru chablis have the same prices) and medium to high quality if priced like outstanding quality (good barolos, good bordeaux). I don’t get it. Is supply limited, or is production costly? Perhaps it’s just the producers available here (or the choice of the importers)?
Yup, Morten…I would agree that many of the orange wines seem very overpriced. I don’t think it’s because of the production costs.
I just think the producers think they can price them as such and they’ll sell. People look at the prices the Radikon/Gravner/Cornelissen’s bring,
and feel theirs should be worth that as well. Thus far, the Georgian orange wines seem not to have gone that route.
Tom
Not all of Cornelisson’s wines are priced high. The Contadino and Susucaru are priced in the $19-high $20s and I think they are Frank’s most consistent and enjoyable wines. I had the Contadino 8 over the weekend and that wine was lovely. I followed it over about 2 hrs. It was constantly shifting and changing flavors and aromas. I couldn’t ask for a more fun wine.
FWIW, in 2012 we produced our “regular” Novy Sauvignon Blanc and we also produced a “Skin-Soaked” Sauvignon Blanc, made in the same way except that the Skin-Soaked Wine spent 24 hours on the skins prior to the start of fermentation. Hardly an Orange Wine and we didn’t make much of it, but it has been fun to taste them side-by-side and get opinions back from consumers on what they prefer.
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines & Novy Family Winery
If only more were available here. American ones(none that I know of), Austrian ones (there are a couple), Italian ones (quite a few, they dominate) and Georgian ones (there’s none). I’d love to do a large tasting of orange wines over a few days, but going to Georgia seems a bit much.
btw: Forgot to mention that I really enjoy Bressan’s Verduzzo. Really well balanced and haven’t had a bottle that was “off” so far, and it’s from 2007 (we use it in the restaurant, so I’ve opened a few). It apparently doesn’t mind a bit of age.
That’s a wine of good quality were the price reflects it, where as the importer’s other orange wines (the ones he presented for me) were generally 2/3rd of the price and 1/4th of the quality. He’s one of the better importers of orange wines here, but they’re predominantly from Italy. I suppose partially because he’s half Italian (and half American; both halves living in Bergen, Norway).
Bressan’s Verduzzo is brilliant, as are the majority of their wines but as you say they are costly, even here in the US. Other producers to keep an eye out for are Paraschos (Collio) and Nando (Brda). Both are not in the US; however, I believe they are imported to Norway. In the US, we have a Brda producer, Kabaj, brought in by Blue Danube that I like. Georgia has a wealth skin fermented producers, but it will take a dedicated importer to get those wines the notariety they deserve. One US importer, Cris Terrell, is trying hard to garner attention.
Brezzan is expensive at the winery, but I completely agree that they are very good wines. No gimmick.
Bressan is fairly expencive (they aren’t normally available at the wine shop, but judging by what I pay for the verduzzo at the restaurant it would cost about $40 per bottle for the verduzzo if I were to order some.
I see Paraschos is available here (at about the same price as Bressan), so I will check that out. Thanks for the tip.
BTW: Couldn’t find Nando 