2021 Müller? Müller Thurgau (orange)
Those of you who grew up in the 1980’s will surely get this pop culture reference. When the opportunity arose to source some old vine Müller Thurgau also from the late 1970’s I couldn’t resist. I have been impressed with many of the Müller Thurgau wines from Austria and so this is an unabashed nod to those wines, albeit with an Oregon twist.
Green Papaya + Pez Candy 🍭
The concepts, theories, and applications of orange wines are vast. There is flavor in the juice, skin, and stem of a grape. So, why is most white wine made with ONLY juice? Older wine cultures knew that there are natural preservatives in the skins of the grape (see red wine production), as well as, color, tannin, and other flavors. So, they used the whole berry, not just the juice. I had always wanted to make an orange wine but struggled to think of a grape that hadn't already been "done" before. Enter Müller Thurgau. One day after casually looking over the harvest statistics from the previous vintage compiled by the Oregon Wine Board, I noticed that coming in last place was Müller Thurgau. I knew then, that I found my wine. Who doesn't like to champion an underdog?
