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| Grape | Muscat |
| Style | Sweet, Orange, Full Bodied, Fresh, Citrus, Orchard and Stone Fruits, Balanced, |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Volume | 37.5cl |
| ABV | 15% |
| Dietary | Vegetarian, Vegan, Sustainable |
Quady's Essensia is a captivating full-bodied sweet orange wine that really delivers on value for money. Its rich gold hue precedes layers of spicy orange, apricot, and pear flavours, expertly balanced with bright fruit acidity for a clean, inviting finish. This versatile dessert wine shines alongside chocolate, almond, and stone fruit desserts, or pair it with cheesecake and banana cream pie. Try it with fresh goat cheese to explore the delightful contrast between sweet and savoury, dip biscotti into it, or use it to enhance cakes and truffles.
About the Producer
Andrew Quady's change of career from making fireworks to making wine produced an explosion of its own kind when he created Essensia from the Orange Muscat grape. It was an instant success and until 1985 he could not make enough to satisfy demand. Now Quady is the foremost American winery specialising entirely in dessert wines and continues to win medals worldwide. In 1975 Quady's first port-like wine was made from Amador County Zinfandel. Now it is made from traditional Portuguese varietals such as Tinta Roriz and Tinta Cao
Vineyard and Winery
In 1980 Andrew Quady discovered a parcel of underused Orange Muscat grapes in Reedley, California, which led him to make a wine which celebrated the intense aromas and spicy fruit flavours of the grapes. In Italy, the variety is known as Moscato Fior d'Arancio: Orange Blossom Muscat. In Reedley, California, it is grown in well drained, alluvial soils, in climatic conditions ideally suited to this variety. The grapes are harvested at optimal maturity and once they have reached 22 Brix. Quady Winery is Certified Sustainable with California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW), and the Orange Muscat grapes are Certified Sustainable with CCSW.
The Orange Muscat grapes were crushed, chilled and allowed to macerate. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts, before being arrested with neutral grape brandy. This arrested fermentation preserved the delicate aromas of the fresh, ripe grapes and lightly fortified the wine to around 15% alcohol. It was aged for three months in used, predominantly French oak barrels.