JCV Charlie Villard Ramato Pinot Grigio

This wine is called an orange wine, although no citrus is actually used. It is a kind of natural or skin contact wine.

**What is natural wine? ** Natural wine has been in recent debates in the wine world due to the way it is made. It’s a type of white wine made by leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the juice, creating a deep orange-hued finished product. They spend an extended time on grape skins (thus the term "skin contact wine"), which gives them this vibrant orange color.

This is natural process uses little to no additives, sometimes not even yeast. Because of all this, they taste very different from regular white wines and have a sour taste and nuttiness from oxidation.

As it is made without additives, it is said to give less hangovers and thus great enjoyed if you plan to drink more.

This wine from JCV Charlie Villard Ramato Pinot Grigio is made with 100% Pinot Grigio grapes from the Villard Estates in the Casablanca Valley in Chile. With an ABV of 13.5%, it gives aromas of orange and burnt caramel, with flowery notes of jasmine and orange blossom. It has a layered dimension on the palate, with spicy flavors, and notes of honeysuckle, marmalade, and orange.

The JCV Charlie Villard Ramato Pinot Grigio is a bold wine that pairs well with equally bold foods. It is great to pair with mature cheeses to start. For your mains, a braised lamb is incredible to enjoy with this wine. It also goes well with Indian curry dishes, Moroccan cuisine, Ethiopian cuisine, Korean dishes like bibimbap, Japanese dishes like sushi and sashimi. For dessert, it works with desserts with fruits and nuts.

This relatively new creation by Villard Winery, places natural wines at a pedestal. The JCV Charlie Villard Ramato Pinot Grigio is lauded by DescoRChadOS as the Wine Revelation of the Year and even makes the list as one of the Best Natural Wines, globally. It also bagged 95 points from James Suckling for two separate vintages.

The Villard Winery was founded by Thierry Villard, who was born in France, and traveled the world. After a year in Australia at the age of 20, he decided to head to South America, and found himself in Chile. It was here that he met his wife, and they married in 1972. The next year, they moved back to Australia.

Between the 70s and the 80s, the Villards took many trips to Chile, and it was during this time that Thierry Villard made friends and acquaintances in the local wine industry. Slowly, he began to dream of starting his own wine business. With Chilean wine being of good quality, it was enough for it to be a “discovery” for market in Europe.

So, in 1988, he decided to quit his job, and he, his wife, and their two children packed up their Australian life and moved to Chile. He first began his wine industry career as an export consultant for other wineries, honing his experience. He eventually set up Villard Fine Wines, with the mission to produce premium Chilean wines.

Today, the winery is mostly headed by his son, Jean-Charles Villard, with Thierry being main adviser and the final judge on mixes, and his mother overseeing administration and logistics. It’s a family affair, and the Villards make a fantastic team. Despite being a relatively small family winery, Villard has found its seat amongst the large corporate-run wineries.

Store your unopened bottle in a cool, dry, and dark place safe from constant vibration. Keep your bottle horizontal in a wine rack or cellar to retain the moistness of the cork. The ideal temperature for storage is between 7 to 15°C. It must never be exposed to sunlight.

Natural wines do not age well as it has no additives. Once bought, drink within the same year. Once opened, they are meant to be consumed in 3-4 days as exposure to air and other elements easily spoils the wine. They may be placed in the fridge during this time.

Natural wines must be served chilled.