DESPITE its name, orange wine isn’t actually made from the juice of oranges – but that doesn’t mean it’s any less delicious than it sounds.
Sometimes referred to as amber wine, it is made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are left in contact with the juice for an extended period during fermentation.
This extended contact gives the wine its characteristic orange colour, as well as some unique flavours and textures.
And luckily for us, we don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to try the unique flavours.
Amateur sommelier Kirsty Barrett, who has earnt nearly 4,000 sharing her wine recommendations on TikTok, took to the platform to alert shoppers to Aldi’s new orange wine.
The Specially Selected Rosorange Rosé costs £9.99 for a 75cl bottle.
“Can you even cope with this bottle?” she penned.
“The colour is [lovely].”
It is a smooth fruit-driven wine with notes of candied citrus fruits and quince.
Aldi bosses described it as a “subtle blend of rosé and orange wine with pale amber hues”.
“Smooth, elegant and perfectly balanced, it delivers aromas of candied citrus fruits and orange peel with notes of quince,” they added.
As it is more on the dry side, the bargain vino is best paired with spicy dishes and soft cheeses.
According to Kirsty, the wine was launched just this week, meaning there’s likely to be some in your local store.
Fellow wine-lovers commented under her video that they had “rushed out” to nab a bottle already.
The prolonged skin contact gives orange wine its distinctive colour, which can range from pale orange to deep amber.
It also imparts tannins, which are more commonly associated with red wines, giving orange wine a fuller body and a more complex flavour profile compared to many white wines.
While the technique of making orange wine has been around for centuries, it has experienced a revival in recent years, particularly in regions.
These include Georgia, Slovenia, Italy and parts of France – notably the Jura region.
The increasing popularity of orange wine has led to more producers experimenting with the style, creating a wider range of options available at cheaper prices.
Tesco stocks orange wine for as cheap as £8.50 a bottle, while Waitrose’s Macerao Naranjo Orange Wine costs £8.99.