Cardedu Orange Wine, Bucce | MV

This is, as we like to say, orange wine “light" Its name, Bucce, is Italian for grape skins, and orange wine is simply white wine made with skin contact. Instead of separating the clear juice from the skins right away, the two spend time together, allowing the wine to pick up color, texture, and oomph. The longer they mingle, the more orange the wine can become, and no two orange wines are alike! Grape variety, skin thickness, pigment concentration, yeast types, maceration time, and the ratio of skins to juice all influence the result. And remember… not every orange-colored wine is an orange wine. Oxidation, botrytis, and intentional blending can give a funky hue without any skin contact.

Cardedu, named after its village, is in southeastern Sardinia, about a two-hour drive north of Cagliari. Here, vigneron Sergio Loi carries on the family’s tradition of chemical-free farming and minimum-intervention winemaking that's been steadfast since the early 1900s. This wine is a blend of Vermentino and Nasco (both white varieties) with Sardinia's noble red, Cannonau. We call it, “Orange wine light," because it doesn’t feel as heavy as other styles. The color leans pale rather than rich, and the palate glides instead of grips. Peach skin and apricot fuzz emerge, then wild herbs and that unmistakable saltlick tang that makes you dream of the sea. Bright. Light. And dare we say, refreshing? Pair it with a plate of crisp and curly seafood. No guilt. All pleasure. ~Allegra Angelo