Silver and Gold… and Orange?

Annnnd the holidays are here. Daylight is diminishing, temperatures are falling, and holiday music can be heard everywhere. Despite the hectic rush of the season I’ll admit, I do enjoy getting together for all of those holiday parties! It’s a fun opportunity to share some unique wines -- challenging palates, and possibly turning folks on to a wine they’d normally not drink or purchase.

This year I am all about Rebula (Ribolla) which is certainly one of the lesser known grape varietals. Rebula is a Western European grape varietal that originated in Greece and came to Slovenia through Italy, where it thrived in the hilly landscape. The bottle I recently tasted is by a French winemaker who moved to Italy and met a Slovenian woman who wooed him back to the underrated vines of Slovenia.

This Rebula happens to be an “Orange Wine”. Orange wines get their color from skin contact and are generally paired with more robust meals (similarly to red). Orange wine emerged in the New York wine scene in 2009/2010, as a funky yet sophisticated pairing for food that NY Sommeliers fell head over Italian leather shoes for. The related “newness” of orange wine to the American palate was a success however like a lot of other varieties, the trendiness died down to an obscurity.

Trust me on this…add a little orange to the silver and gold of the holidays! Pop open a bottle, put on a little Bing Crosby, and enjoy the season! The 2012 Kabaj (Ka-bye) Rebula with orange peel, lemon/lime on the nose, and white peach/herbal dry finish retails for a holiday-budget friendly $21. Pair it with a spicy pizza, sausage and peppers, or a rosemary roasted chicken.

Sláinte! TCW