# Vino Naranja Muscat of Alexandria (2025)

- **Producer:** Viña Cacique Maravilla
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Muscat of Alexandria
- **Region:** Bio Bio Valley, Chile
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, orange, blossom, apricot, rose

## About this wine

Viña Cacique Maravilla is situated in Yumbel within Chile's historic Bío-Bío Valley. The Gutiérrez family has farmed this estate since 1776, spanning seven generations of continuous winemaking heritage. Winemaker Manuel Moraga Gutiérrez preserves traditional Chilean Pipeño farming and vinification methods, producing authentic dry-farmed wines without synthetic inputs or technological intervention. The estate's ancient ungrafted Muscat of Alexandria vines thrive on rich volcanic ash soils, reflecting over two centuries of agricultural stewardship.

## Interesting facts

- Sourced from ungrafted Muscat of Alexandria bush vines planted around 1776, making them nearly 250 years old.
- Farmed on unique volcanic ash soils locally called Trumao, resting over an ancient granite substrate.
- Crafted by the Gutiérrez family, who have held and worked the same land in Yumbel for seven generations.

## Food pairing

Skin-contact orange wines derived from aromatic varieties like Muscat bridge the gap between white and red wine pairings. The lifted acidity, mild tannic grip, and citrus-botanical profile cut through rich fatty meats such as pork belly while harmonizing with heavily spiced Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes.

## Wine making process

Farmed organically and biodynamically without irrigation, the grapes are hand-harvested late in the season to ensure aromatic maturity. Vinification relies entirely on spontaneous fermentation driven by indigenous yeasts in open raulí wood vats (lagares). The wine undergoes extended skin maceration for two to three weeks, extracting structural grip and complex aromatics. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with no added sulfur dioxide or chemical additives.