German-based supermarket chain Aldi has a reputation for selling award-winning wines at extra-value prices. Now, the chain is cashing in on the growing “natural” orange wine trend.
On Saturday, August 11, Aldi’s U.K. stores will begin selling an 85 percent Chardonnay and 15 percent Sauvignon Blanc blend, which will retail at £5.99 (roughly $8). In doing so, reports the Drinks Business, Aldi will become the U.K.’s first supermarket to offer orange wine.
Orange wine is made by fermenting white grape juice in contact with skins. The process imparts an amber hue, as well as aromas and flavors not typical in white wine. Orange wines’ tannic structure, too, is uncommon for wines made from white grapes.
According to the Drinks Business, orange wine is becoming increasingly popular in the U.K., with one natural and organic importer, Les Caves de Pyrene, now offering over 100 in its portfolio.
Produced by Romanian estate Cramele Recaș, Aldi’s orange wine will be vegan-friendly, due to a lack of animal byproducts (such as egg whites, fish oil, or gelatin, which are commonly used to remove impurities), and qualifies as a natural wine as it is made without sulfites.
Aldi claims the wine has aromas of “quince, Williams pear and a hint of vanilla,” while the producer says the wine has flavors of “stone fruits, backed up with a powerful tannin structure and long finish.”
There are currently no plans to introduce the wine to Aldi’s U.S. stores. But news of a supermarket offering orange wine, for many, might be a sign that we’re getting dangerously close to hitting peak natural wine.
