First Orange Wine

Name: Bonny Doon - "Le Cigare Orange"

Variety: grenache, grenache blanc, orange muscat, grenache gris

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: 2023, $17 (got it on sale for $8.99)

Critique Review: Has honey and citrus zest in the nose and carrying over to flavor notes. There is some honey sweetness and some grass clipping. Bodied enough to go with tomato’s sauce pasta.

Reference Flavors: Orange, Citrus, Tangerine, Peach, Apricot, Apple

My Review:

This Bonny Doon orange wine pours a light tangerine-amber hue—almost like a faint sunset in a glass. On the nose, it leans heavily into citrus, with grapefruit taking center stage and just a touch of underripe peach.

The taste caught me off guard. For a wine that reportedly spent 14 days on the skins, it’s surprisingly light—almost watery. There’s a diluted, juice-box quality to it, reminiscent of watered-down Hi-C or maybe orange Gatorade left out on a summer day. Peach comes through faintly on the back end, but it’s all pretty soft and subdued.

I paired this with a Papa John's pepperoni and pineapple pizza, hoping the salty-spicy-sweet combo would bring something out of the wine. Instead, the wine just kind of floated alongside—barely noticeable against the bold flavors of the food. It’s not unpleasant, just unexpected. I thought I’d get some grip or texture from the skin contact, but this one goes down more like a citrusy white.

Overall, it’s quirky and easy-drinking, but definitely not what I’d expect from an orange wine. A fun bottle to try once, especially if you’re curious about offbeat styles, but it left me wanting more structure.