Quady Essensia Orange Muscat

Essensia is a full-bodied sweet orange wine with an experience that is unmistakable: a rich gold in the glass accompanied by spicy orange-apricot-pear flavors and aromas, balanced with perfect fruit acidity to finish clean, tempting you for one more sip.

In 1980, Andrew Quady discovered a plot of unused Orange Muscat grapes in Reedley, California. His experiences tasting European sweet wines, his winemaking and chemistry education, and a risk-taking spirit led him to see what no one else saw in the varietal at the time: potential. In Italy, the Orange Muscat grape is known as “Moscato Fior d’Arancio,” or “Orange Blossom Muscat,” which has citrus and floral aromas with spicy citrus and stone fruit flavors. Quady set out to capture the very essence of these aromatic grapes, calling his new dessert wine Essensia, which opened new premium categories in the wine industry upon its release.

To make this sweet orange wine, Orange Muscat grapes are harvested at 22 brix, crushed, chilled and allowed to macerate (“sit on the skins” – meaning the juice and skins soak together for a period of time). Wine spirits are then added to arrest the brief fermentation and preserve the sweetness in the wine. Essensia is then aged for about 3 months in well-used 60-gallon (mostly French oak) barrels.

Essensia and dessert are sensational together. Pair this dessert wine with chocolate, almond, peach, apricot and apple desserts, or banana cream pie and cheesecake. Dip in biscotti, use it to moisten cakes, and add to truffles. Drink Essensia alongside fresh goat cheese and enjoy the interplay between the sweet and sour flavors.

You can also create remarkable drinks with Essensia. Pour into a flute of sparkling water or champagne for a celebratory occasion, or use in place of orange liqueur in a cocktail like the margarita.

The label art, by Ardison Phillips, is a study of orange blossoms.

Fortified to approximately 15% Alcohol by Volume.