Bonny Doon Le Cigare Orange

Bonny Doon Le Cigare Orange is a skin-contact orange wine from California's Central Coast AVA, bottled at 11.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Built around a Rhône-white backbone led by Grenache Blanc, this wine has earned consistent critical recognition, with Wine-Searcher aggregated scores of 89/100 across multiple recent vintages.

Quick Facts: ABV: 11.5%  |  Origin: Central Coast AVA, California  |  Style: Orange Wine (Skin-Contact White)  |  Producer: Bonny Doon Vineyard

Production & Heritage

Bonny Doon Vineyard was founded in 1983 by Randall Grahm in Santa Cruz, California, and has long been one of the state's most iconoclastic producers — particularly celebrated for Rhône-variety work under the Le Cigare label. Le Cigare Orange takes a multi-varietal blend (the 2024 vintage comprises 44.5% Grenache Blanc, 25% Pinot Gris, 14% Grenache Gris, 9.5% Orange Muscat, and 7% Chenin Blanc) and subjects it to extended skin contact in stainless steel tanks. The wine sees no oak, and sulfur is kept to a minimum, added only at bottling — a deliberate approach that preserves the raw textural character and phenolic grip that define the style.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dried orange peel and tangerine blossom emerge first, followed by ripe apricot and a layer of dried flowers. A subtle honeycomb sweetness lingers underneath without dominating.

Taste: The entry is bright with peach and citrus peel, giving way to a mid-palate of melon and dried apricot that carries noticeable weight from the skin contact. Fresh tannins — unusual for a white wine — provide structure and a slightly grippy texture, while a gentle herbal lift adds complexity through the peak.

Finish: Medium in length with a dry, lightly bitter citrus-pith quality and lingering honeyed florals. The tannin structure carries through cleanly, leaving a savory impression that invites another sip.

How to Drink Le Cigare Orange

Serve lightly chilled — around 55°F — to balance the tannin and aromatics; too cold and the skin-contact textures flatten out. This wine is built for the table more than the cocktail shaker, but it does work in wine-based mixed drinks. Try it in a White Negroni, where its tannic backbone mirrors the bitterness of Suze. It adds golden depth to a Wine Spritz with sparkling water and a strip of orange peel. It also substitutes beautifully for dry vermouth in a Bamboo cocktail, pairing with fino sherry for a savory, low-ABV aperitif.

Best For

• Introducing a curious wine drinker to the orange wine category
• Pairing with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dinner spread
• Gifting to a natural-wine enthusiast who values thoughtful winemaking
• Adding textural variety to a wine-tasting lineup alongside conventional whites and rosés

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Le Cigare Orange taste like? It leads with bright peach and dried orange flavors, supported by honeycomb, dried flowers, and a subtle herbal quality. Fresh tannins from the skin contact give it more grip and body than a conventional white wine.

How does Le Cigare Orange compare to Radikon orange wines? Radikon, from Friuli in northeastern Italy, is widely considered a benchmark for the orange wine category and typically undergoes far longer maceration periods, resulting in deeper amber color and more intense tannic structure. Le Cigare Orange is lighter in extraction and lower in alcohol, making it a more approachable entry point while still delivering genuine skin-contact character.

Is Le Cigare Orange good for beginners exploring orange wine? Yes — its moderate skin contact and multi-varietal blend create a textured but not overwhelming introduction to the category, with enough familiar fruit character to bridge the gap from conventional whites.

Where is Le Cigare Orange made? It is produced by Bonny Doon Vineyard, founded in 1983 by Randall Grahm in Santa Cruz, California, using fruit sourced from the Central Coast AVA.

What foods pair well with Le Cigare Orange? Grilled chicken with preserved lemon works well with the citrus and tannic structure. Moroccan tagine complements the wine's dried-fruit and honeyed notes. Hard aged cheeses like Manchego echo its savory finish. Hummus and flatbread match its Mediterranean personality, and seared scallops with brown butter highlight the honeycomb and apricot tones.

What sizes does Le Cigare Orange come in? Le Cigare Orange is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Le Cigare Orange worth the price? It positions as a mid-range orange wine — more affordable than benchmark European producers like Radikon or Gravner, yet offering genuine skin-contact complexity from a respected California estate with over four decades of winemaking history.

Why Le Cigare Orange?

Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon Vineyard has spent over 40 years challenging California wine conventions, and Le Cigare Orange reflects that ethos — applying Rhône-variety expertise to the skin-contact technique with a restrained, food-friendly hand. The five-grape blend is unusual in the orange wine world, where single-varietal bottlings dominate, and it creates a layered aromatic profile that no single grape could achieve alone. Consistent critical scoring in the 87–89 range across recent vintages signals reliable quality rather than vintage-to-vintage inconsistency. For drinkers seeking an orange wine that delivers real phenolic texture without sacrificing drinkability, Le Cigare Orange occupies a distinctive middle ground in a rapidly expanding category.