The Orange Wine from the County of Huelva, supported by the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), has once again taken center stage at the professional tasting organized by Andalucía Trade at the Spanish Embassy in London. This international promotion event has brought together the main Andalusian wine appellations with the aim of showcasing the excellence of the region's wines to importers, distributors, influencers, and specialized media in the British market.
According to the PDO in a press release, the participation of the Orange Wine from the County of Huelva in this select event represents "a new opportunity" to "consolidate its international positioning as one of the most unique enological products of Andalusia and Spain, thanks to a unique production process and a centuries-old tradition that is only kept alive in the territory of the County of Huelva".
Currently, sixteen wineries are part of the PGI Orange Wine from the County of Huelva. All of them preserve an artisanal production method passed down from father to son and subjected to a demanding set of specifications that ensures the authenticity, quality, and origin of this characteristic aromatized wine.
The president of the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designations of Origin Condado de Huelva and Vinegar from Condado de Huelva and the Protected Geographical Indication Orange Wine from the County of Huelva, Vicente Pérez García de Prado, has emphasized that "participating in a promotional action of this level represents a magnificent opportunity to continue making known an absolutely exclusive product, which cannot be produced anywhere else in the world under these conditions of quality and origin".
"The international market increasingly demands authentic products with history and differentiation, and the Orange Wine from the County of Huelva possesses all these qualities," he indicated.
Likewise, Pérez García de Prado has remarked that "internationalization is one of the priorities of the Regulatory Council." "The United Kingdom continues to be one of the strategic markets for Spanish wine, and actions like this allow importers and professionals to discover a product that surprises both with its aromatic complexity and its extraordinary gastronomic versatility."
A unique wine with its own production method
Orange Wine from the County of Huelva is part of the white wines protected by the Denomination of Origin Condado de Huelva, made mostly with the native Zalema variety, an emblem of the Huelva vineyard and responsible for more than 80% of the vineyard area in the region.
This grape, adapted for centuries to the climate of the County of Huelva, provides fresh, balanced wines with great aromatic fineness, making it the ideal base for Orange Wine. Its distinguishing feature lies in the natural aromatization process.
For this, a preparation obtained by macerating dried orange peels in wine alcohol for a minimum of six months is used, with at least 200 grams of peel per liter of alcohol and in containers of less than 1,000 liters. Then, this preparation is clarified and carefully added to the base wine, providing the unmistakable citrus nuances that characterize the final product.
The process is completed with a mandatory aging of at least two years in oak butts or bocoyes with a capacity of less than 650 liters. This aging gives the wine balance, complexity, and elegance, making Orange Wine from the County of Huelva an aromatized wine of marked personality.
The production of Orange Wine has been linked to the history of the County of Huelva since the 19th century. Its reputation was reflected in historic wineries such as the old Bodegas del Diezmo Nuevo in Moguer and also in Spanish literature, where the poet Francisco Garfias from Moguer praised it as one of the great gastronomic references of his land.
Official recognition was achieved in 2011 with the specific protection of the Protected Geographical Indication, which consolidated a production model aimed at safeguarding both producers and consumers against imitations and ensuring compliance with strict quality standards.