Orange Muscat produces wines with great floral elements and rich honeysuckle aromas. Although the resulting wines are often much lighter, the grapes take on a vibrant orange color as they ripen in fall, and develop lovely citrus scents of lemons, tangerines and orange blossoms. This is a riper style, which makes for a full-bodied wine that can be enjoyed after dinner with dessert, especially when poured over vanilla ice cream.

I started making wine for Caprock Winery in Lubbock Texas a few years ago, after friends from Oregon bought the property, and was pleased to find that Texas embraces alternative grape varietals from the Rhone Valley in France, as well as other warm weather regions such as Spain and Italy.

The Muscat family of grapes originate in exotic regions of the Mediterranean and in far flung areas of the Middle East, and include Muscat Canelli, Muscat of Alexandria, and this: Orange Muscat. You will find many of these varietals blended into the broadly-named Moscato wines.

Occasionally, when we find a vineyard or batch of Muscat grapes with unique and splendid characteristics, we will bottle it on its own, as we have with this wine.

Though it retains nearly 9% residual sugar, we fermented this wine extra long, resulting in 16.7% alcohol, making it almost a White Port in style. Enjoy it in the same manner – in small glasses, at the end of a meal, and with friends and lovers.

 - Monty Paulsen, Winemaker

Vintage:  2010

Appellation: Texas High Plains, 3200 ft elevation

Vineyard: Caprock Winery

Alcohol: 16.7% Sugar: 9%

Composition: 100% Orange Muscat

Climate: High and dry, with warm days and nights and a short growing season

Production: 300 cases

Stainless fermentation & aging

Food Pairing: Cheese, very sweet desserts, over ice cream!