Tasting - Seeds & Skins Pinot Gris

Name: Old Westminster Winery - Old Westminster Vineyards - Seeds & Skins Pinot Gris 'Orange Wine'
Variety: 100% Pinot Gris
Region: Westminster, Maryland
Country: USA
Year: 2018
Price: $4.50

Vivino Tasting Notes: Silky, smooth, with a firm acidity, and complex body with great depth. Reviewers pointed out an aroma of white flowers, sweet herbs, and crushed gravel, with tasting notes of juicy tangerine, peaches, minerality, and salty unripe citrus fruits, along side a 'crunchy' mouthfeel. - Vivino Comments and Taste Characteristics 

Wine Folly: pg 149 Pinot Gris - Low body, mild alcohol, middle to high acidity, with varying levels of sweetness, along side notes of white peach, lemon zest, cantalope, raw almonds, and crushed gravel are characteristic of this style.
pg 49 Orange Wines - This descriptive terminology describes a subset of natural wines made with white grapes. The wines themselves are fermented with with the skins, much like red wines. The result of this process brings out an orange hue, derived from the lignin in the seeds. Such wines have tannin and body similar to red wines.

My review: Purchased based off recommendation from one of the individuals working at Vintage Cellar - great guy, really knows his craft beer, and apparently also his wine! I can easily say that this is the first 'Orange Wine' that I've ever sipped on... and it's a natural wine too?! Of the few naturals I've had the pleasure to drink, I would definitely say this is more on the funky side, though for someone like me - who really enjoy his wild fermented craft ales and belgian lambics - it's a walk in the park! It's acidic forward, but oddly easy drinking, dried lemon peel, apricot drinking vinegar, with a good dose of clementines. Oh, did I mention that this ended up being a sparkling Orange Wine? Because, oh baby, is it ever, the yeast really didn't want to be forgotten and just continued to eat away at all the remaining sugars after canning, it was almost kind of startling to hear that soda can 'SSSSTTtttsss' as the CO2 escaped the seal. I really hope this is a year-rounder, because I'd be delighted to bring a six pack of this down to the beach in the warmer months, I already know a few people who would really enjoy this refreshingly funky wine!

No food was had, while tasting this wine - just a glass, and a good netflix series.