There's a very special reason behind the name of Meghan Markle's former blog, The Tig

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, launched a new lifestyle brand this week, returning to Instagram for the first time in four years to hard launch "American Riviera Orchard".

More information about the new project is expected to be released by Markle herself in due course, but it is thought that American Riviera Orchard will be a luxury lifestyle brand, specialising in homeware, tableware and food.

The news has been celebrated, particularly by fans of the Duchess' now defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, which Markle closed before joining the royal family in 2017. 

As Markle's new venture is dubbed "The Tig 2.0", details of her original blog have resurfaced, particularly in relation to its unique name.

There has been a lot of speculation as to where The Tig originally got its name from, although the Duchess of Sussex wrote the full story on her now defunct website back in the day.

Tig is actually short for Tiganello, an Italian red wine that was Markle's favourite. For her, discovering that wine represented "getting it" in life, so that feeling was nicknamed "The Tig" from there on out.

"Several years ago I had a sip of wine called Tignanello (pronounced ‘teen-ya-nello’). But let’s be real – in the states most people said ‘tig-na-nello’… or just plain old "Tig."', she wrote.

"The Italiano of it all gets a little tricky, so the bartender kept it simple; it was a glass of ‘Tig.’ So there I am, with very minimal wine knowledge and I take a sip of this wine.

"It wasn’t just red or white - suddenly I understood what people meant by the body, legs, structure of wine. It was an ah-ha moment at its finest.

"For me, it became a 'Tig' moment - a moment of getting it. From that point on, any new awareness, any new discovery or 'ohhhhh, I get it!' moment was a 'Tig' moment.

"At New York Fashion Week understanding that clothes aren’t just pieces of fabric, but that they can be art. So Tig. Traveling off the beaten track and hand diving for sea urchin in Jamaica - understanding that travel is adventure and discovery, culture and surprise. A Tig moment, indeed.

"And the same could be said for my love of cooking and dining, for cultivating friendships that inspire you, for the idea of ‘beauty’ and what that means to us. An understanding that comes with living your life to the fullest so that it bursts at the seams.

"An unbridled joy. An insatiable curiosity. That’s what Tig means to me."

The Tig may be over, but thankfully American Riviera Orchard is on its way. 

We will continue to update this story.