2017 Ryan Vineyard Skin Fermented Pinot Gris - Joseph Jewell

Fresh raspberry, Hawaiian jasmine, blood orange. Mango skin, chopped jicama, pink lady apple. Cherry blossom and hibiscus, pickled ginger and a rosemary sprig. Shaved lemon peel and watermelon rind spread out atop Himalayan sea salt and sliced radish. Whole peach flushed with clean mountain air. Completely unique and captivating in every way. This 2017 Ryan Vineyard Skin Fermented Pinot Gris by Joseph Jewell Wines is a daring achievement from Humboldt County.

It doesn't take a wine expert to know that Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) is typically made into white wine. However it is interesting to note that this variety actually produces pinkish/grey skinned fruit that has significantly more pigmentation than most other white wine grapes. This bottling, crafted using 100% Pinot Gris from the Ryan Vineyard in Humboldt County, has taken this interesting grape and transformed it into something unconventional and delicious. By allowing grape skins to remain in contact with the juice through fermentation the team at Joseph Jewell have imparted additional color, flavor, and texture to this wine. This rare style, commonly known as orange wine, drinks somewhere in between a white and a red. The fruit profile is heavily varied, showing hints of everything from light citrus to berries and even some melon and tropical fruit. Texturally this wine exhibits very light but noticeable tannin, creating a unique sensation for something so juicy and fresh. This stuff is awesomely complex and might be one of the most fun sushi wines ever created.