Orange Wines for Fall
Grüner Veltliner “Hollotrio”, Bauer – 2023 $18.96
Hollotrio is a modern rendition of Austria’s most classic varietal. Gentle skin contact softens the hard edges of many classic Grüners, without adding much tannic influence. The wine is immensely crushable, showing flavors of melons, pears, and chamomile. If you want to try an orange wine but you fear the funk, here’s one that’s hard not to like. Oh yeah, and it doesn’t hurt that you have a liter of juice in the bottle. – Chung Park, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Terra Ambera, Garalis – 2022 $21.96
If you have wanted to dip your toe into skin-contact wines, Terra Ambera is a great place to start. A lighter style, Terra Ambera is a natural, spontaneously-fermented wine made from Muscat of Alexandria and has 5 days of skin contact in stainless steel. It’s light, mouthwatering, and easy to drink on its own or with lighter fare. It’s bursting with tropical and orange citrus fruits and white blossoms, held together with an almost lush green finish and a light tannic structure similar to that of unsweetened black iced tea. – Hannah Weiss, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Runaway Rabbit, “Jackpot”, Skin-Fermented Pinot Grigio – 2023 $21.96
A beautiful watermelon sunset color in the glass, soft tannins, and mild floral aromas combine with subtle flavors of golden apple and electric white peach lemonade, giving us an effortlessly refreshing wine with a skin-contact complexity that everyone can enjoy. I’m so glad to see this wine join our Long Island collection and you should definitely check out Runaway Rabbit’s “Chester” as well. – Simon Gouldstone, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Kisi, Andria Gvino – 2022 $26.96
These handcrafted Georgian wines continue to amaze me! We were lucky to have both the winemaker and his wife from Andrias Gvino in the shop recently, who both are creating some of the most impactful expressions of rare Georgian varietals such as Kisi and Krakhuna. For the curious palate, it was quite the education to taste both side by side, as these grapes come from opposite ends of the country! George Wolski, the winemaker, explained that Krakhuna is native to Western Georgia, where fresher wines with lower alcohol are produced while Kisi, native to Eastern Georgia, develops more ripeness, fruits, florals, & textures. Both are incredible examples of natural wines aged in qvevri, creating truly magical orange/amber wines. – Alex Malecki, Sales Manager
Florèz, “Kind of Orange”, Viognier – 2022 $34.96
I’m always thrilled when a new Florèz wine appears at Astor, they never disappoint and this one is superb. A gorgeous electric apricot color in the glass, aromas of peach gummy, mandarin, and lychee dance from the glass. A chewy palate with notes of pink lemonade, balsamic pear, sweet and sour sauce, cold apple pie and a touch of brine lead us to a dry yet very refreshing finish. – Simon Gouldstone, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant