Giuseppe Gallo debuts Savoia Orancio

Italicus creator Giuseppe Gallo has expanded his Savoia range with an apéritif that combines spices from the East with citrus, called Orancio.

Italian spirits expert Gallo unveiled Savoia, an aperitivo that aims to ‘revitalise’ the Americano category, in 2021.

While the original Savoia Rosso product was based on fortified Marsala wine from Sicily, the new addition is made using orange wine – said to be a first for aperitivos.

Gallo was inspired to create Savoia Orancio from an ancient winemaking practice that dates back more than 8,000 years: the creation of orange wines in terracotta amphorae pots, originating in Georgia.

Unlike white wines, where the grape skins are removed after crushing, in orange wines the skins are left to macerate for a certain period, leading to its orange hue.

Gallo also wanted to celebrate Italy as a country and took inspiration from the travels of Italian explorer Marco Polo in the East for the creation of Savoia Orancio.

As such, Orancio is made with a combination of citrus and spices that can be found on the silk road.

In addition to using 100% biodynamic orange wine, Orancio uses ingredients such as saffron, red tea, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, pink pepper, pomegranate, cardamom, orange peel and lime peel.

The expression has a ‘bitter-sweet’ profile with citrus notes of bitter orange, lime and bergamot. The aromatic herbs result in an ‘exotic, fragrant, rich and warm mix’.

Gallo also describes Orancio as a “pre-mixed cocktail that’s ready to serve”.

Savoia Orancio can be served cold over ice, mixed with soda or tonic water, or paired with rosè sparkling wine to create a Spritz.

Gallo also recommends trying it in a Margarita, using blanco Tequila, fresh lime juice, a touch of agave nectar and Savoia Orancio.

“Savoia Orancio is very unique, it’s very difficult to categorise behind the bar,” Gallo explained. “It will play into the bitter apéritif but also plug into any wine-based product. It’s kind of a hybrid between bitter apéritif and wine apéritif.”

With an ABV of 17.2%, Orancio taps into the lower-alcohol sector.

The 500ml bottle is priced at RRP £20 (US$25) and is available to buy from The Whisky Exchange and ItalSpirits.

Gallo is targeting high-end bars and restaurants with the new launch and has already secured around 10 accounts in central London.

European roll-out

Orancio will launch in the UK, Italy, France, Spain and Austria from 21 September, with additional European countries to follow by the end of 2023.

Gallo is also aiming to bring the new product to the US next year through the brand’s partnership with distributor Banville.

He also hasn’t ruled out additional line extensions: “When I started my own ventures, the overall aim was to innovate in the industry and to create something new, unique, disruptive. So anywhere in the industry in the next few years there will be a niche, a gap or an area that I see that nobody has covered before. We’re gonna play in there.”

Gallo is also planning to release a product that goes “above and beyond the apéritif”.

Gallo is no stranger to building an aperitivo brand. The Italian mixologist created Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto in 2016, which aimed to revive the rosolio aperitivo category.

The brand received an undisclosed investment from French firm Pernod Ricard in March 2020.