2023 Only Zuul, Swick Wines, USA

The Moment

Some orange wines are built around funk.
Others are built around beauty with a little bite.

The 2023 Only Zuul lands beautifully in that second lane — aromatic, textured, and just wild enough to keep things interesting without ever losing the thread. This year’s blend is 50% Pinot Gris from Moeller Vineyard and 50% Gewürztraminer from Cowiche Canyon Vineyard, and Swick describes it with aromas of rose petals, blood orange, and papaya, followed by a medium-bodied palate with fresh acidity.

What makes this wine especially compelling is how it is made. Both varieties were fermented separately, but treated the same way: 60 days of skin maceration, then pressed and aged for 10 months in a mix of neutral French oak and concrete eggs, with sulfur at bottling as the only addition. That gives the wine real structure and texture, but also keeps it clean enough to stay highly drinkable. This is orange wine with shape, lift, and purpose.

What It Feels Like

Think dinner that comes with spice, heat, and a little chaos — the good kind. A bowl of something deeply savory on the table, a bottle that immediately gets people asking what it is, and a wine that somehow feels both floral and serious at once.

What makes this bottle work is the contrast. You get all that perfume from the Gewürztraminer and all that orange-toned texture from the skin contact, but the fresh acidity keeps it from feeling heavy or overly heady. Swick says it is “always easily crushable on its own,” but they especially like it with Yukgaejang, channa masala, and papaya salad, which tells you exactly what kind of energy this wine wants around it.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Rose petals, blood orange, and papaya.

Palate
Medium-bodied, fresh, and lightly grippy, with citrusy fruit and skin-contact structure. This palate summary is based on the winery’s tasting note and élevage details.

Texture
Textural and lightly savory from the long skin maceration, but still lively because of the wine’s fresh acidity. 

Finish
Bright, aromatic, and persistent, with floral-citrus energy lingering through the close. This finish summary is an interpretation based on the winery’s published note.

Why We Love This Bottle

Orange Wine With Real Charm
This is not just skin-contact for the sake of being different. The wine sounds balanced, expressive, and genuinely fun to drink.

Long Maceration, Clean Shape
Sixty days on skins gives it texture and personality, while the neutral oak and concrete eggs help keep it grounded rather than messy.

Built For Bold Food
Lean toward dishes with spice, heat, and bigger flavors, which makes this a very useful bottle for the right table.

Pair It With

• Yukgaejang
• Channa masala
• Papaya salad
• Spicy noodles
• Roast carrots with yogurt and spice

Technical Notes

Producer: Swick Wines
Cuvée: Only Zuul
Vintage: 2023
Blend: 50% Pinot Gris, 50% Gewürztraminer
Vineyards: Moeller Vineyard and Cowiche Canyon Vineyard
Region: Produced and bottled by Swick Wines, Newberg, Oregon

Winemaking:
Both varieties were fermented separately, macerated on skins for 60 days, then pressed and aged for 10 months in neutral French oak and concrete eggs. Sulfur at bottling was the only addition.

Body: Medium
Structure: Fresh acidity · skin-contact texture · floral lift · savory finish

Flavor Profile
Rose Petal · Blood Orange · Papaya

Drink Window
Now–2028