Cur-ti-menta, curtimenta – literal meaning ‘tanning’ – the Portuguese word for orange wine, skin-fermented wine, amber wine and ramato (copper in Italian). Aka delicious!
This ancient winemaking technique involves extending the maceration of the juice from white grapes with the grape skins. The result is a unique, dynamic and versatile white wine that’s made like a red wine.
Skin-fermented wines are incredibly popular these days the world over. The colour and the often-unfiltered haze can still be polarising or off-putting to newcomers, but they do, and will, spark conversation and discovery. Amber wine could even be your new fave wine for those who like dry wines with a bit of chew on the palate or texture and lively acidity! And for those of you solely dedicated to red wines, this could be a potential bridge to the land of sunset orange, lemon sherbet and copper penny wines.
Curtimenta is a type of wine that some might consider as the ’original’ wine. It has a history that dates back 5,000+ years all the way to what is known as ‘the cradle of wine’ in ancient Mesopotamia, now known as Georgia. Originally, these wines were fermented in large underground clay vessels called qvevri (‘kev-ree). They are still made this way in Georgia, Slovenia and parts of north-eastern Italy but they are also made in Portuguese talhas, stainless steel vats, wood barrels and large open-top plastic fermentation tanks.
The unusual hues found in orange wines are a result of the type of white wine grape, the duration of skin contact and exposure to oxygen. These wines are not sweet, but can be fruity or savoury and present a bold flavour profile. They can have honeyed aromas like marmalade, bruised apple, pear, dried apricot and orange rind. Some even offer herbaceous notes, sweet spices, chamomile, juniper and beeswax.
This unique taste profile is sure to pique your curiosity and make you eager to experience the world of orange wines.
Wine of the month
For this month’s wine, I chose the Algarve’s own Morgado do Quintão’s freshly bottled and hot off the labelling and wax dipping line, 2021 Branco/Curtimenta (pictured). They don’t make it every year and the number of bottles is limited, so it’s best to snatch a bottle or three up now!
The wine comes from a forgotten 80-year-old vineyard on the estate where the vines grow between olive and carob trees. No one knows all the different varietals planted, but the predominant ones are Negra Mole and Boal. The wine rests for approximately 15 days in the skins and presents a shimmering and vibrant copper colour. The nose and palate are dripping with honeyed orange, marmalade, sweet pine resin, walnut skin and my favourite dried California slab apricot.
An ideal gastronomic wine, they pair well with a dizzying diversity of foods: Moroccan beef tagine, shakshuka, just about any Indian dish, Portuguese cozido de grão, or even a stacked meat and cheese board with dried fruit chez Candy! Serve at 12–14 degrees.
