From: Oregon, USA
Varietal: 50% Pinot Gris (longer skin-contact), 50% Riesling-based field blend of grapes that went into making Big Salt
Tasting Notes: From the Producers: “If you love ORANGE wines (white wines fermented on their skins), or wanted to explore what they're all about - Big Salt "Orange Rose" is a good place to start. It has a sunset cranberry color that comes as a result of Pinot gris skins being blended with the tangerine hues of Big Salt. It’s aromas remind me of a carrot orange creamsicle stirred into a cup of hibiscus tea, steeped with autumnal spices. Roasted carrot, ginger, red apple skin are on the palate. THIS WINE IS NOT FRESH LIKE BIG SALT, it's more like if Big Salt were a red wine.”
Pairing: Root Vegetable Tagine With Herbed Couscous by Sarah Copeland
About. Ovum Wines, founded in 2011 by John House and Ksenija Kostic House, is renowned for its focus on producing natural, expressive wines with minimal intervention. Located in Oregon, a region celebrated for its diverse and high-quality wine production, Ovum sources grapes from various vineyards across the state. These vineyards are carefully selected for their distinctive terroir and ability to yield high-quality fruit, enabling Ovum to create wines that truly reflect their origins.
John House, who transitioned from a background in wine sales and distribution to winemaking, co-founded Ovum with a philosophy rooted in traditional methods and a profound respect for the natural characteristics of the grapes. Ksenija Kostic House, originally from Serbia, brings her expertise in chemistry to the winemaking process, ensuring the wines are both expressive and technically sound.
Ovum Wines is dedicated to minimal intervention winemaking, using native yeasts, avoiding additives, and employing techniques that allow the true character of the grapes and their environment to shine through. The winery primarily focuses on white wines, particularly Riesling and Gewürztraminer, which they believe best express the terroir of Oregon. Unique aspects of their winemaking include fermenting and aging wines in amphorae and concrete vessels to preserve purity and complexity, as well as emphasizing single-vineyard bottlings to highlight the unique characteristics of each site. Committed to sustainability, Ovum Wines works closely with vineyard partners to ensure environmentally friendly farming practices.
Ovum Wines has earned a reputation for producing some of the most intriguing and vibrant white wines in Oregon, making them a notable name in the region's wine industry.
The Big Salt Orange Rosé is a blend of Ramato (Italian for “auburn” or “copper”)-style Pinot Gris and a white blend of Riesling that was fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels. It isn’t as funky or extracted as an orange wine. Rather, it lives somewhere in between. It has a cranberry meets orange juice color due to 14 days of fermentation of Pinot Gris the skins. The white wine components of this blend that went into barrel saw anywhere from 8 hours of skin contact to up to 3 days.
