Gerard Bertrand Orange Gold 2020

Reviewed on September 8, 2023

I love that the colour orange gets to play a leading role in the Fall. The leaves on the trees are turning colour, pumpkin lattes are popping up again and butternut is the soup de jour. I cannot think of a better time to introduce Orange wine.

It as the fourth wine colour - white, rose, red and orange! Think of it as a white wine vinified like a red wine. In other words, the juice from the white grapes have skin contact during fermentation. To make an orange wine, winemakers allow the juice from the white grapes to soak and ferment with the skins on. The process can range from a few hours to several months.

Although it may sound trendy, it is an ancient wine. Historians date the first orange wine back to Georgia (the country, not the state). Most of the Orange wine made today is from Slovenia and northern Italy. This one, the Gerard Bertrand Orange Gold, is from the Languedoc region in southern France.

The Gerard Bertrand Orange Gold is a blend of 7 white grapes - Chardonnay,  Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Mauzac, Muscat, Clairette. I feel that Orange wines need more air to help it reveal its personality. I also make sure to serve it slightly chilled. Somewhere between a white and red in temperature.  

This is a food wine. I like it with Asian foods from curry to tempura. It is also good with hard cheeses, charcuterie boards and olives.