The Vice 'Pickleball' Orange Wine Napa Valley 2024

Winemaking

The Vice approaches winemaking with a playful yet intentional philosophy, embracing techniques like skin contact to coax complexity and texture from white varieties. The Pickleball selection exemplifies their willingness to experiment beyond conventional styles, crafting wines that reward curiosity and challenge expectations without sacrificing balance or drinkability.

Tasting Notes

This orange wine glows with a luminous golden hue and opens with inviting aromatics—white stone fruit, bright citrus zest, and delicate floral notes that speak to extended skin contact. On the palate, it unfolds with textural richness: dried apricot and honeyed notes weave through a mineral backbone, while fine tannins add structure and grip. The finish is dry and lingering, leaving you with a pleasant savory minerality that keeps you reaching for another sip.

Producer

The Vice is a small, independent producer in Napa Valley known for exploring unconventional techniques and grape combinations that push the boundaries of traditional California winemaking. Their focus on experimentation—evident in selections like Pickleball—reflects a hands-on approach that prioritizes character and expression over predictability.

Terroir

Napa Valley's diverse microclimates and well-draining volcanic and alluvial soils provide an ideal canvas for exploring alternative white wine styles. The region's warm days and cool nights allow white varieties to develop concentrated aromatics and balanced acidity, while extended skin contact here can yield the golden hues and mineral complexity that define quality orange wines.

Food Pairings

Serve this alongside a casual weeknight plate of sautéed shrimp with garlic and fresh herbs, or pair it with a composed dish of seared scallops with beurre blanc and crispy prosciutto. Its texture and mineral grip also make it a natural match for creamy goat cheese and stone fruit—think a summer plate of burrata, roasted apricots, and candied walnuts.