Waitrose adds first English ‘orange’ wine to menu

By Lisa Riley

Published: 03 May, 2019

Waitrose has expanded its English wine menu with seven new offerings, including its first homegrown ‘orange’ wine.

The English orange wine, which is Litmus Orange, will arrive at the supermarket in late June.

Only the second orange wine to be made by John Worontschak at Surrey-based Litmus Wines, the 100% Bacchus is aged on skins before pressing into two to five year old French oak barriques for a further nine months of elevage.

Other English wines joining the portfolio includes a duo from canned producer The Uncommon, with its Bubbly White arriving in store from 20 May followed in July by the Bubbly Rosé (made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier).

Available on WaitroseCellar.com exclusively is a unique Simpsons Estate "On The QT" Pinot Meunier Blanc de Noir - an exclusive single vineyard, single variety wine from Kent.

Other additions include a Pinot Noir Rosé and a Chardonnay from Simpsons, as well as a new Blanc de Blancs from Bride Valley in Dorset - all of which are new to Waitrose.

The new additions reflected key trends within the industry, said wine buyer Victoria Mason.

“We’re very excited to have an orange wine on our shelves, one of very few being made in England. Canned wine is becoming increasingly popular and we’re proud to be adding two excellent effervescent English wines to our successful range.

“Supporting smaller, local producers is also very important to our shoppers, which is why we’re thrilled to introduce two new vineyards to Waitrose, which have previously not been available on a national scale.”

The additions come as Waitrose reports a 156% rise in sales of its still English and Welsh wine compared to last year, with the bumper harvest of 2018 now beginning to appear on shelves.

Additionally, the supermarket said sales of its local English sparkling wine have increased by 60% over the last year.

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