Ortega
Definition - What does Ortega mean?
Ortega is a white grape variety originating from Germany. It was created by crossing the Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe grape. It is an ideal grape for wine regions with a cool climate as its sugar levels can still increase despite the cold temperatures where they are cultivated.
In Germany, the Ortega grape is used to supplement Riesling in less-than-ideal vintages to increase the sweetness and body to wines.
WineFrog explains Ortega
The Ortega grape's original home in Germany were in the regions of the Mosel and Pfalz. It has since spread to other cool-climate wine regions in England and in western Canada, particularly in Vancouver Island and the Okanagan Valley.
In these regions, Ortega is often blended with other wines that share the same organoleptic characteristics, such as Muscat.
Wines made with the Ortega grape have a signature aroma of peaches and have the body similar to later harvest Riesling. They also pair well with similar foods as late-harvest Rieslings.
