Kalyra Orange Muscat 2006 Impresses With Sweet and Tart Flavors

The dessert wine from Santa Ynez Valley winery Kalyra offers a rich, viscous experience.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Wine writer Randy Fuller reviews Kalyra Winery's 2006 Orange Muscat, a dessert wine that he says has been neglected in his wine rack for too long. Fuller describes the wine as having a rich, golden color, floral and honey aromas, and flavors of honey, apricot, and orange peel that balance the sweetness with acidity, making it a good pairing for cakes, tarts, and ice cream.

Why it matters

Dessert wines often get overlooked by "serious" wine drinkers, but this review highlights how a well-crafted dessert wine like Kalyra's Orange Muscat can offer a complex and enjoyable drinking experience that pairs well with a variety of sweet treats.

The details

The 2006 Orange Muscat from Kalyra Winery in Santa Ynez Valley, California is a fortified dessert wine made from Muscat grapes sourced from Madeira, California. It has an alcohol content of 15% and a rich, viscous texture. On the nose, the wine offers floral, honey, and apricot candy aromas. The palate shows flavors of honey, apricot, and orange peel that balance the sweetness with bright acidity, making it a good pairing for cakes, tarts, and ice cream.

  • The 2006 vintage of Kalyra's Orange Muscat has been in the reviewer's wine rack for some time.

The players

Kalyra Winery

A winery located in the Santa Ynez Valley of California that is known for producing high-quality dessert wines.

Randy Fuller

A wine writer who reviewed the 2006 Kalyra Orange Muscat.

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What they’re saying

“Dessert wines get a bad rap from "serious" wine drinkers. Those who like a dry red's tannins puckering their lips into a fish face simply don't think the sweet side brings much to the table.”

— Randy Fuller, Wine Writer (nowandzin.com)

The takeaway

This review shows that well-crafted dessert wines like Kalyra's Orange Muscat can offer a complex and enjoyable drinking experience, even for those who typically prefer drier styles of wine. It's a reminder not to overlook the sweet side of the wine world.