Didebuli Kakheti Orange Kisi 2020

If you like the idea of orange wines but have found the flavours a bit challenging, or have been waiting to dip a toe in the orange/amber water, try this. It's an authentic example, made from the obscure white Kisi grape variety fermented with the grape skins in qvevri (pointed-bottom clay jars buried in the ground), but it doesn't have the astringent shock of some Georgian orange wines. I loved its inviting dried-flower, apples-in-the-attic, orange peel and walnut aromas, the downy peach-skin texture, hints of green tea and fresh fino sherry and its approachable, airy tannins; so it came as a surprise to see how polarised the response to it has been by the small handful of Wine Society members who have reviewed it online. But if an orange wine isn't polarising, it probably isn't doing its job. I also like the fact that Didebuli's Kisi doesn't demand food, unlike a lot of traditional orange wines, but at the same time it's convincingly food-friendly. Try it out on meaty sausages, including chorizo and duck, or grilled lamb cutlets, miso-roast veg or herby, spicy bean and lentil dishes.

An inviting but authentic orange wine made in qvevri (buried, clay jars) from the little-known Kisi grape variety. Dried flowers, apples-in-the-attic, orange peel and walnuts on the nose, a downy, peach-skin texture, a hint of fresh fino sherry and airy tannins. Drink cool but not chilled with food, including meat. Or try it with the turkey-fest Boxing Day leftovers.

When it comes to orange wine, Georgia, the cradle of wine, immediately comes to mind. This great-value example gets its colour � and tannic grip � from being fermented on skins for 2-3 weeks in clay qvevri buried in the ground. Rounded, textural and approachable, with flavours of citrus, red apple skin and sweet spice, and a long finish.