Not wine made from oranges. No, it refers to a red wine made from white grapes or rather a wine made from white grapes but vinified as a red wine.

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I’m not making this clear am I?

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Red wines are made from red (black?) grapes and their colour derives from the skins and the depth of that colour from just how long the juice sits with the skins in contact.

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But here’s the rub; as well as colour, the skins bring tannins and texture. Mouthfeel. The longer you leave them macerating, the more you get. Which of course in the case of white (green?) grapes means no redness at all. Just texture. And a certain orangeness.

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And although the Georgians were making this style thousands of years ago (Georgia near Russia), it has become fashionable in recent years. So much so that lots of producers have piled in. Many are, in my opinion, using the wrong grape varieties and some are making wilfully harsh, sour wines to challenge the drinker.

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Domaine Regismont is one such arriviste and our current Orange which is curently appearing on our Wine-Boutique by-the-glass list represents the third vintage produced by this Languedoc estate. And before signing off on it, they did a lot of tasting and development. The result is a highly approachable wine made from organically-grown Muscat and Viognier; aromatic varieties that lend themselves well to the style.

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As well as appealing to the zeitgeist, I believe the quality, drinkability and general friendliness of this wine should work for normal drinkers and even perhaps a few sceptics.