Esja Orange.jpg
7D6E5F98-128A-4C62-9BFE-120BA7A34F96-1189-00000039A47A9322.jpg (Copy)
Esja Orange.jpg
7D6E5F98-128A-4C62-9BFE-120BA7A34F96-1189-00000039A47A9322.jpg (Copy)

Esja Orange

$24.00
Only 3 available

Rattlesnake Hills AVA > Columbia Valley> WA

Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, 2024

We’re thrilled to work with newcomer to the WA Wine Scene - Tanja Bjornsson of Esja Wines, who makes beautiful things in her home garage winery outside Seattle. Her 2024 Orange is a delectable blend of Roussanne & Grenache Blanc fermented on skins for 14 days with wild yeasts. It was then pressed into neutral French oak and went through partial malolactic fermentation. It was aged on lees for 7 months before bottling. Like all her wines, the Orange is funky, fresh, and fun.

Rattlesnake Hills AVA > Columbia Valley> WA

Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, 2024

We’re thrilled to work with newcomer to the WA Wine Scene - Tanja Bjornsson of Esja Wines, who makes beautiful things in her home garage winery outside Seattle. Her 2024 Orange is a delectable blend of Roussanne & Grenache Blanc fermented on skins for 14 days with wild yeasts. It was then pressed into neutral French oak and went through partial malolactic fermentation. It was aged on lees for 7 months before bottling. Like all her wines, the Orange is funky, fresh, and fun.

Blend: 25% Roussanne, 75% Grenache Blanc

ABV: 13.8%

The Story: Our winemaker here is Tanya Bjornsson, a first generation American who found her focus in the wine industry in 2015. Born to Icelandic immigrants, working hard and drinking well is ingrained into her nature. Esja (pronounced Es-Ya) is a mountain range situated ten kilometers north of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik. Nestled across the bay, Mount Esja overlooks the city providing peaceful and stunning views. Although she looks inviting, Esja is a force to be reckoned with. Her steep slopes and dramatic shifts in weather have proven to be severely treacherous. She is delicate, and powerful. Much like she intends her wines to be – At Esja Wines Tanya strives to make minimally intervened Washington wine, that is funky, fresh, and fun, a rarity in our home state. Tanya started her wine career in 2015 after graduating college with a degree in French. After taking sommelier courses and looking around for jobs in the restaurant industry, she ultimately landed a harvest gig in Oregon at Union Wine Company. She ended up staying there as a cellar hand for 3 years learning everything she could about running a pump, operating a press, and mobbing on a forklift. She then set off to work abroad in the Waipara region of New Zealand. Greystone wines was the first winery where she learned about Wild Fermentation. After, she moved back to Washington and worked a harvest at EFESTE, then lucky to find a job as Assistant Winemaker at Darby winery, which was where I had the opportunity to start my own label. In 2023 she went off on her own as a garagiste, making her enthralling wines in her Duvall garage. “Really feels like it has been ten years of flying by the seat of my pants, gaining experience, and learning along the way,” she laments.

Personality: This orange wine is thoughtfully crafted to appeal to those new to the style. The nose highlights vibrant aromas of apricot, honey, and honeysuckle. On the palate, a rounded texture and delicate tannins provide balance, enhancing the wine's juicy and approachable character.

Harmony: A marvelous pairing would be creamy artichoke dip, a sunset charcuterie situation, or even a good Netflix and Chill.