Wine with a conscience
Our commitment to sustainable sourcing. Working with suppliers and partners that share this priority.
Welcome to Orlando's
We used to have an espresso and deli van. A life of freedom, cold markets and happy festivals. Then in 2005 our careers changed entirely, away from food and drink. But the call was strong and 2020 felt like a good time to revisit Orlando's. We were very pleased to realise a lifelong ambition to specialise in Italian produce.
We are a wine retailer based in south Devon, sharing our careful selection of wines and spirits through this website. We are glad to still be offering a selection from as many Italian regions as we can. Amongst this selection you will find the wines of Monterosola in Tuscany; our first direct import as sole UK representatives, and certainly not the last.
We continue to have an old world focus but we also have a few special bottles from the wider wine world. You will find wines made with attention to their quality and authenticity, the selection being mostly organic or biodynamic. As we evolve and grow so will our relationships; with growers, suppliers and with you our customers. Thank you for visiting. We look forward to being of service to you.
Our Practices
Orlando's is a business with sustainability at its core. Environmental considerations are first and foremost, to the extent that only necessary compromises will be made, as rarely as possible.
Our wines and foods are sourced from organic and biodynamic wineries and farms. This has benefits for both the local environments and the quality of the products in themselves. Sustainability is a concept much discussed and a word widely used. In the wine industry it is multi-faceted, as it is in all industries with complex production and supply chains. It begins in the vineyard; soil, water and bio-diversity. Then the winery; energy, water, packaging, transport.
01Certification
Certification
Certification is widely appreciated as a guide to sustainability. The various schemes are represented by badges and labels, making it easy to identify good practice. This is useful of course, but certification is a costly and lengthy process. There are many reasons why a wine producer will not take this route.
Relationships between suppliers and merchants, and between merchants and customers, can allow for methods to be revealed. Orlando's is such a business, seeking information and making decisions based on discussion and experience.
For example, we are delighted to represent Monterosola of Volterra in Tuscany. Their grapes are grown organically and the winery incorporates exciting technology ensuring efficiency in water and energy. They are not certified, and that is the choice made by many.
02Simplicity
Simplicity
Not all growers and makers can, or wish to, invest large sums. Long before industrial agriculture there was just farming, with no option but to work with nature and learn. That has never changed for many wine makers and oil producers. In ideal climates especially, it has not been necessary to change the fundamentals. Grapes become wine, olives become oil.
It is common in the wine industry for importers, wholesalers and retailers to visit vineyards throughout the world. These valuable opportunities can form the basis of purchasing decisions when sustainability is a guiding principle.
Often the reward, for the customer in particular, is quality. The care and attention that sustainability entails can result in something individual and delicious.
03Localism
Localism
Sustainability should mean local, as much as possible. As a specialist in Italian goods there is an obvious limitation for us, but we are based in Devon, blessed with an abundance of local produce and interesting people doing exciting things.
Within such an independent and entrepreneurial culture there are many opportunities to collaborate, not just with food but in the arts, design, health and community.
Culture and community are often intrinsic to sustainability and they make localism a business reality. We are happy to be in that circumstance.
The History
The name Norchi originates in Volterra, a Tuscan hill town. Alan's mother spent many years researching the Norchi history and traced the family back as far as the early 15th century in Volterra.
The Orlando's name comes from Alan's father, Francesco, who also once owned a deli in London. Most members of the family live in England, or in Sicily where many still live in another hill town, Aquaviva Platani.
Questions or want to know more?
Get in touch