Wine expert tries ‘really, really good’ bottle that ‘smells and tastes like cider’

A glass of wine with unusual shades piqued the interest of a wine expert on Instagram, who was somewhat perplexed by it.

Tom Gilbey, a wine connoisseur with a popular Instagram channel, shared a review of a fascinating bottle of “orange wine.” This exotic-looking drink, which boasts a deep color somewhere between white, red and rose, is not made from oranges, as one might assume, but rather from white wine grapes with their skins remaining.

Before tasting the wine, Tom asks the question, “Wine? Orange juice? What is this?” He goes on to taste the unusual and slightly expensive Pepin Gewurztraminer 2022, Alsace by Hopburn Black, and finds himself won over by its fruity aroma.

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In his Instagram video, Tom informs his 316,000 followers that orange wine is not made from oranges, but from white grapes, in a process similar to red wine. “We bleed the skin, we get a bit of color, but we also get a bit of the other stuff – a bit of tannin,” he explains.

He goes on to express one of his “big beefs” with orange wine, stating that it “quite often smells and tastes like cider and it’s very expensive cider.”

Clutching the £25 bottle, he comments: “I have a Gewurztraminer with extensive skin contact, and a Gewurztraminer should smell like lychees, rose petals – really exotic.”

After sniffing, Tom notes, “This has a bit of a bruised apple on it too. I’m getting some cider.”

After taking a generous sip for the tasting, Tom declared, “I’ve got the ripeness, I’ve got the lychees, I’ve got the rose petals, but I’ve got more! I have a bit of bitterness, I have a bit of structure – but it’s all good because it’s an orange wine.”

Following his initial taste, the wine connoisseur concluded that this particular bottle of orange wine is indeed, “a banger,” adding, “when it’s good, it’s really, really good.”

Tom has gained popularity on social media by suggesting affordable alternatives to expensive and high-end wines. His honest reviews and humorous comparisons help people discover tasty wines for any event.

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