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Cantina Indigeno

Orange Calanchi 2021

Price: $29.95
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Tasting notes

The three-way vinification split gives this Pecorino a complexity most single-method orange wines lack: citrus brightness from the no-maceration portion, tannic grip and phenolic texture from the seven-day skin-contact portion, and a savory, herbal undercurrent from the whole bunches. Very high acidity and low alcohol make it one of the most food-flexible skin-contact wines we carry.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Lemon PeelWhite PeachWildflowersDried Apricot
  • Style: Dry, light-bodied orange wine; Pecorino; very high acidity; low ABV; unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Pecorino; organic; calanchi clay-marl hillside soils; Teramo province, ~500m elevation, foot of Gran Sasso
  • Winemaking: Three simultaneous vinifications: 1/3 no maceration, 1/3 seven-day skin contact, 1/3 whole bunches; fiberglass; native yeast; no additions; bottled unfined and unfiltered
  • Serving: Serve at 50-54F; drink on the younger side; finish within a day of opening
  • Pairing: Spaghetti alle vongole, grilled sardines, aged pecorino, fried vegetables, chickpea dishes
  • Similar To: For fans of high-acid, low-intervention skin-contact whites from Friuli or the Jura

Orange Calanchi is made from 100% Pecorino grown organically on the calanchi hillsides near Montorio al Vomano in the Teramo province of Abruzzo. Calanchi are eroded badland slopes of Plio-Pleistocene marine clay and marly clay, nutrient-poor substrates that force vines to produce small, concentrated fruit. Vineyards sit at around 500 meters elevation at the foot of the Gran Sasso mountains.

The wine is produced using three simultaneous vinifications: one third of the fruit is fermented without skin contact, one third undergoes seven days of skin maceration, and one third is fermented as whole bunches. All three portions are vinified in fiberglass with spontaneous native yeast fermentation, no temperature control, and zero additions. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfites.

The result lands somewhere between a skin-contact white and a classic orange wine. It opens with bright, tart citrus and floral character, then broadens with air into something rounder and more textured. Acidity is the defining feature here, with the whole-bunch portion adding a subtle tannic grip and herbal note. Low alcohol keeps the wine light on its feet.

Cantina Indigeno was founded in 2016 by Nicola Reginaldi, Alfredo Giugno, Fabio Petrella, and Loreto Lamolinara. The project manages around 9 hectares of organically certified vineyards in and around Teramo, working primarily with Abruzzo's indigenous varieties: Pecorino, Trebbiano, Montonico, and Montepulciano.

The high acidity and phenolic grip make this a natural match for fatty, briny, or umami-driven dishes. Try it with spaghetti alle vongole, grilled oily fish like mackerel or sardines, or a plate of aged sheep's milk cheese. It also holds its own against fried vegetables and chickpea dishes where a conventional white would fade.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Orange Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Pecorino
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2021
Alcohol:, ~10%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Abruzzo
Appellation:, Vino d'Italia
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Cantina Indigeno

Cantina Indigeno was founded in 2016 by four friends: Nicola Reginaldi, Alfredo Giugno, Fabio Petrella, and Loreto Lamolinara. Reginaldi brought a background as a sommelier with a focus on natural wines; Giugno and Lamolinara had previously run a microbrewery together, giving the group a strong foundation in spontaneous fermentation. The project was partly encouraged by their connections to Lammidia, another natural wine producer in Abruzzo. The first vintage in 2016 produced around 5,000 bottles, sold primarily in the United States and Japan. By the 2018 vintage that number had grown to approximately 25,000 bottles following vineyard acquisitions.

The winery is based near Montorio al Vomano in the Teramo province. The team manages approximately 9 hectares of organically certified vineyards, with vines averaging around 30 years old growing on stony limestone and clay-rich calanchi soils. For some cuvees they also source organically farmed grapes from neighboring growers in the Teramo hills who farm using only copper and sulfur treatments. The focus is on indigenous Abruzzo varieties: Montepulciano, Trebbiano, Pecorino, and Montonico.

In the cellar, every wine at Cantina Indigeno undergoes spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, no temperature control, no fining, no filtration, and zero additions including sulfur. Vessel choice varies by cuvee and vintage, with fiberglass, stainless steel, and amphora all used depending on what the fruit calls for in a given year. The Calanchi orange wine uses fiberglass exclusively, with the three-part vinification approach producing a wine that typically comes in under 12% ABV.

Wine region

Abruzzo, Italy

Abruzzo runs along the central Adriatic flank of the Apennines, stretching from mountain elevations above 2,000 meters down to coastal plains along the Adriatic Sea. The province of Teramo in the northern part of the region sits between the Gran Sasso massif to the west and the Adriatic coast roughly 8 kilometers to the east. This position creates a wide thermal range between day and night, which preserves acidity in white varieties. The region's characteristic calanchi terrain consists of eroded Plio-Pleistocene marine clay and marly clay hillslopes that form steep, sparsely vegetated badlands. These nutrient-poor substrates are found throughout the Teramo hilly belt and give wines grown on them a lean, mineral profile.

Abruzzo's two most recognized appellations are Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC for reds and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC for whites, but a growing number of producers work outside these designations to use varieties like Pecorino and Montonico. Pecorino is a high-acid indigenous white grape that was nearly extinct before being revived in recent decades; it is now found primarily in Abruzzo and the neighboring Marche region. Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC covers the region's distinctive dry rosato from Montepulciano. The emphasis on organic farming and minimal-intervention winemaking has grown steadily in Abruzzo over the past decade, with producers near Teramo leading that shift.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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