Orange Wines
Vintage image sourced on Pinterest
Orange wine. A wine style that’s been considered faulty, painfully trendy, overblown and undeniably hip. Whether you call it orange, amber, macerated, skin-fermented or skin contact, orange wines are essentially white wines made like reds. Rather simple for wines that inspire such polarized opinions.
Orange wine has become trendy in recent years, but the style is ancient. Orange wines are made all over the world, from different varieties of white grapes using different methods by different winemakers in different terroirs. This tasting zooms in on some of the styles and countries that have come to be the best known in the wide range of shades of orange.
Stuff to know
What is orange wine?
In case you were wondering, there are no actual oranges involved in the making of orange wine. Nor are there any orange-flavored additives or colorings or anything like that. Orange wine is just white wine that is made like a red, with the grape skins spending time in contact with the juice during fermentation. There are many names for orange wine, and my favorite is “skin contact,” since it’s both an accurate term and the sexiest, and come on, we all need a little zhuzh when discussing how the sausage is made.
Some producers believe that throwing away white grape skins is not just a waste, but a serious loss of flavor, since they feel that the best aroma and flavor compounds in wine come from grape skins, rather than the juice. Considering that all red wines are made this way, I can understand the logic, even if I love too many white wines to pick a side.
Orange wine is both ancient and modern, with some producers making wine exactly the same way their forefathers made it thousands of years ago, and some producers using temperature control and other modern winemaking techniques. The common denominators are that all orange wines are made using white grapes, and that the skins (and sometimes stems) of those grapes are left in contact with the juice in some kind of fermentation vessel for a period of time.
Aside from those two commonalities, there are options galore. Winemakers can use white grapes like Ribolla Gialla or Rkatsiteli, grapes closely associated with orange wine in Friuli, Slovenia and Georgia, but they can also use others like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, white grapes that are grown all over the world and used to make a wide range of styles.
Winemakers might adhere to natural wine practices, believing that wines should ferment spontaneously with wild yeasts and should not be temperature controlled, or they might prefer to have guaranteed consistency and control in the process with commercial yeasts and temperature controls.
Many orange winemakers use open-topped fermentation vessels, but whether these are traditional Georgian qvevri, massive egg-shaped clay amphorae with a point at the bottom that are commonly buried underground, or other types of clay amphorae, wooden vats or even concrete eggs or stainless steel tanks is up to the individual winemaker to decide.
How long the white grape skins remain in contact with the juice is also up to the winemaker, with some keeping them only for a few days, while others leave the skins (and sometimes stems) in contact with the juice for weeks or months, long after fermentation is complete.
Some winemakers use one vessel for fermentation and another for aging, often pressing the juice off of the skins and racking the wine into old oak barrels, amphorae or stainless steel tanks for aging before bottling, but there are other winemakers, like the traditional Georgian ones, who leave all of the skins and stems in the qvevri for months at a time.
Orange wines aren’t necessarily still wines, either. Some winemakers make Pétillant naturel (pét-nat) orange wines, with fermentation still going on when the wines are bottled, creating some natural fizz. Others induce a second fermentation, making lightly sparkling frizzante or even traditional method sparkling wines.
Are all orange wines natural?
Here’s the thing about natural wines: there is no official definition of what a natural wine is and isn’t. There are guidelines, but they aren’t dogma. Generally, natural wine producers choose viticultural and winemaking practices that are sustainable and traditional with minimal amounts of human intervention in both the vineyards and winery. This can mean biodynamic or organic viticulture, though not necessarily. It can mean that all grapes are hand-harvested, and that no commercial yeasts are added, allowing wild yeasts to do their work as they will. It can mean that fermentation temperatures aren’t controlled, and processes like malolactic conversion aren’t intentionally blocked. It can mean that very little or no sulfur is added to the wine, even during bottling, and that the wines aren’t fined or filtered. It can mean all of these things and more, and it can also mean some of them, to some degrees.
Not all orange wines are natural wines, even if the movements are closely intertwined. Orange wines are a style of wine that uses a particular winemaking method, involving white grape skins during the fermentation process, but that doesn’t mean that all orange wine producers adhere to every other tenet of natural winemaking. Many do, so it’s entirely fair for orange wines to be associated with natural wine, but fitting into the “natural wine” category isn’t necessarily a given.
Are orange wines faulty?
There are some in the wine world who believe that all orange wines are faulty, or “off.” In particular, there’s an opinion that orange wines are just oxidized white wines, or wines that have been exposed to too much oxygen, darkening their color and altering their flavors, much like cut-open apple will turn brown and taste different after siting on your kitchen counter for a while.
While there are outrageously delicious intentionally oxidized white wines like some Sherries and Vin Jaune, I’ve also had some experiences with unintentionally oxidized White Burgundies and Champagne that have been thoroughly disappointing. Orange winemakers aren’t aiming for unintentional oxidation, and in fact, many producers seal winemaking vessels shortly after fermentation to avoid oxygen ingress. Some producers choose to allow oxidation in the process, but it’s almost always a choice, and one that is managed carefully, just like in the production of Sherry or Vin Jaune.
Are orange wines age-worthy?
I have mixed feelings about this question, because I firmly believe that there are high-quality wines that aren’t age worthy, and that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wine meant to be consumed within a few years of being made. That said, I get that for some, age worthiness in a wine is closely related to quality, and for those people, I will simply say that yes, orange wines can age beautifully. In fact, some of them are best with some age on them.
Like all things wine-related, there are exceptions galore. Some orange wines are outrageously age worthy, and some are best drunk as soon as possible. This is also true of whites, reds, rosés and even classic wine styles like Burgundian Pinot Noir.
What to look for in this tasting
Orange wines are just as diverse as rosés, whites or reds. There are light-bodied, delicate orange wines with subtle flavors. There are intensely aromatic orange wines bursting with floral aromas and fleshy textures. There are structured, complex, tannic orange wines with textures that feel as weighty as serious reds. And there are sparkling orange wines that range from lightly frothy pét-nats and frizzante wines to fully sparkling traditional method bubbles. Colors, too, run the gamut from pale salmon to amber to copper and even Aperol spritz-level bright orange.
Some orange wines’ aromas and flavors can be described as “funky,” that natural wine word that encompasses scents that lean toward earthiness, apple cider or even a sulfur-y stink. Others are anything but funky, with precision, purity and elegant flavors that unfold progressively from the glass.
And of course, there are the textures. How do orange wines feel on your palate? Do they slide right through, almost exactly like a white or a pale rosé wine might? Do they glide and coat your tongue like a sip of kefir? Are they tannic, scraping your tongue with thick, clay-ey, chalky tannins that feel as drying as black tea, or just subtly scratchy, like little prickles from white tea?
Flavor-wise, there may be dried flowers, ripe apricots, bruised apples, honey, oolong tea, dried herbs, raw hazelnuts, juniper and even dried orange peel. I know, I said there are no oranges involved in the making of orange wine - and there aren’t - but sometimes, orange-y flavors still shine through.
Since there aren’t (yet) defined styles of orange wine in the same way there are for rosés or dark rosés, this tasting will zoom in on a few countries’ typical styles, so that you can experience the huge range that is orange.
The wines
#1: Pinot Grigio Ramato
Ramato wines, as they’re commonly known, are a baby step into the deep pool of orange wine. In fact, some Ramato producers would argue that their wines aren’t orange at all, that they’re simply their own thing. Lightly copper-colored, many Ramatos could pass for a rosé, or at least, one that leans toward the orange-y side of salmon.
Pinot Grigio, the grape used to make Ramato wines, is related to Pinot Noir and naturally has pink-ish skins, so when they’re included in the winemaking process, the resulting wine will also have a copper or even salmon-colored hue. The word ramato is thought to come from “rame,” an Italian word for copper.
Ramatos, from Friuli in Northeastern Italy, typically only have skin contact for brief periods, between 8 hours and two days. It’s entirely possible that this style was an accidental creation, since separating the juice from the skins in old basket presses was nitpicky and time-consuming, and not necessarily worth the bother. As winemaking techniques modernized, especially after the 1960s in Italy, white wines with zero skin contact became the norm, but Ramato wines have managed to cling on, persisting, if not always thriving. Luckily, the style is increasingly popular and more widely available today, and there are even producers in other countries mimicking Ramato wines these days.
If you’ve brushed off most Italian Pinot Grigio as simplistic, Ramatos might be right up your alley, since they tend to have more depth of flavor thanks to the skin contact, with aromas and flavors of apricots, orange peel and thyme added to the more typical citrus, green apple and floral flavors.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with a Ramato wine, preferably from the Italian regions of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia or Trentino Alto-Adige
#2: Italian Orange Wine
Friui-Venezia-Giulia in northeastern Italy, and in particular, the parts of Friuli that share a border with Slovenia, like Collio, Carso and Isonzo are known for their orange wines. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is already predominantly white wine country, thanks to Pinot Grigio’s huge popularity, but there are plenty of other white grapes, too, like Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malvasia Istriana, Vitovska and Ribolla Gialla, probably the white grape most closely associated with orange wine, thanks to both Joško Gravner and Stanko Radikon, two of Friuli’s - and orange wine’s - most prominent producers.
Orange wines have been made in Friuli long before the region was officially part of Italy. This is a part of the world where borders have been drawn and re-drawn again and again, while families on both sides found themselves trying to maintain cultures, languages and traditions between wars, fascism and communism. Winemaking practices today vary, with traditional Slavonian oak fermenters and large oak barrels alongside Georgian qvevri, as well as stainless steel and clay amphorae.
Summarizing the flavor profile of these wines isn’t easy, since there are so many variations between the different producers using different grape varieties and winemaking methods in different terroirs. Generally though, aromatic grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Istriana and Vitovska will (unsurprisingly) make more aromatically fruity and floral styles of orange wine, while orange wines made from Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Friulano tend to be more focused on structure and complexity, often with honeyed, spicy, nutty flavors.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an orange wine made from any grape variety from Italy, preferably Friuli, specifically Collio, Carso and Isonzo, or other Italian regions like Trentino Alto-Adige, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Sicily or Sardinia
#3: Slovenian Orange Wine
On the other side of the border from Friuli, in western Slovenia, the Primorska wine region has maintained its orange winemaking traditions through wars and communistic cultural repression. Slovenia, along with Georgia, is one of the countries most closely associated with orange winemaking. There’s even an annual Orange Wine Festival in Izola every year.
Karst (or Kras), Goriška Brda, Vipava and Istra are the sub-regions that each have their own styles of orange wine, though there are plenty of overlaps, too. Much like in Friuli, it’s not easy to define a single orange wine style from Slovenia. Winemakers’ methods and grape variety selections vary, and there still and sparkling orange wines made here.
In Goriška Brda, thick-skinned Ribolla Gialla, which goes by Rebula on this side of the Italy-Slovenia border, tends to predominate, while in Karst, aromatic Vitovska is more common. Chardonnay is popular in Vipava, while aromatic Malvasia Istriana (which goes by Malvazija Istarska in Slovenia) makes wines bursting with peach-y aromas in Istra.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with a Slovenian orange wine from Primorska and its sub regions Karst, Goriška Brda, Vipava or Istra, or try a Croatian orange wine
#4: Georgian Orange Wine
Georgia is the country with the world’s longest documented winemaking history, with at least 8,000 years of winemaking under its belt, though you won’t necessarily hear much about it when studying wine today, since western Europe firmly holds the spotlight. Georgia’s winemaking traditions were kept under wraps for many years, since Soviet era bulk wine production was not at all in alignment with the traditional practices quietly continued by individual families. Today, Kakheti is the best-known region for orange wines, while Imereti and Kartli are close behind.
The Georgian winemaking tradition most closely associated with orange wine is the use of qvevri: huge, handmade egg-shaped clay vessels with a point at the bottom that are buried underground to take advantage of the earth’s natural temperature regulation. White wine grapes like Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane and Tsolikouri are dumped into qvevri, whose openings are often in alignment with the floor in a winery, with the skins, stems, seeds and all. Fermentation is allowed to occur naturally, and then the qvevri’s openings are sealed for up to 9 months before the wines are taken out for bottling. These ancient winemaking practices are quite literally endangered today, especially as the complex art of making qvevri becomes less commonly practiced. Buying traditionally-made orange wines from Georgia quite literally helps to keep these ancient practices alive.
Many Georgian orange wines are full-bodied and tannic, thanks to lengthy contact with the grape skins, seeds and stems, but don’t think that makes them any less elegant. There can be aromas and flavors or jasmine, ripe pears, apricots, honeysuckle and fresh herbs right alongside spiciness and nuttiness in these wines.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an orange wine from any Georgian wine region
#5: Austrian Orange Wine
Given Austria’s shared border and cultural history with northern Italy, it’s not surprising that orange wines are made in both countries. Austria’s prime winemaking regions, though, tend to lie in eastern Austria, further away from the popular Alpine villages where the wines are happily consumed. Austria is also home to one of the wine world’s strongest natural wine movements, and while orange wines aren’t necessarily natural, there are many overlaps, and in Austria, the practices often go hand-in-hand.
In Southern Austria’s Styria region, known for its white wines, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are used to make orange wines that can be seriously structured or fresh, floral and citrus-y. In Burgenland, Gewürtztraminer is more common, a grape variety that’s already intensely aromatic, even without the skins, and only becomes even more intense when the skins are in the mix. Think roses, lychees and ginger layered with white tea and jasmine. Gewürztraminer is a thick-skinned grape variety, often lending some gold or pink-ish color even to the traditionally made white wines in Alsace, France, and the tannins in those skins give the orange wines plenty of structure that complements the grape’s naturally oily or waxy texture.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an orange wine made from any grape variety and any Austrian wine region, or an orange wine from Germany or the Czech Republic
#6: French Orange Wine
In a country with some of the wine world’s strictest winemaking laws and appellations, you might think orange wine wouldn’t be common in France. Nevertheless, there are plenty of adventurous winemakers, particularly in southern France, in the Languedoc and Rhône Valley, making orange wines from grapes like Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussane that can be richer and with a more plush texture even than the full-bodied whites made from these grapes.
Further north, near the German border, Alsatian winemakers are using aromatic and thick-skinned Gewurztraminer to make complex and age-worthy orange wines, much like winemakers in Austria and Germany who have also identified Gewurztraminer’s orange wine potential. In other regions, local white grape varieties are used to make orange wines by a few bold winemakers, like Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley, Aligoté in Burgundy and Jacquère and Altesse in Savoie.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an orange wine made from any grape variety and any French wine region, or a Spanish orange wine
Tasting tips
The eats
Food-wise, think about orange wines as sitting somewhere between whites and reds. They’re as versatile as rosés, just with a different flavor profile. They can handle richer foods than most white wines, and can stand up to smoked meats, aromatically spiced foods like most Indian dishes, spicy-sweet and herb-y Thai dishes, as well as all of the cheesy tomato-y goodness that pizza and other Italian dishes offer.
Since this tasting is about having an open mind (and palate), consider setting up a pizza-making station with cheeses that range from the standard mozzarella to pungent blues, along with toasted nuts, greens, sliced smoked meats, dried figs, roasted red peppers and eggplants, fresh basil, tomato sauce, pestos and anything else you think might make a yummy pizza topping. If you want to take things a step further, try making a pizza bar focused on Indian pizza, a style I can’t stop thinking about since reading that article.
If you take the charcuterie route, aim for strong, aged hard cheeses like Comté, Gouda or Pecorino, or stinky blue cheeses like Roquefort and Stilton. If there are smoked meats from Slovenia, Georgia or Northeastern Italy available where you live, snap those up, since they’ll be extra on-theme. Round things out with pretty much anything you like, since these are wines that can handle a range of flavors.
The prep
Orange wines have become increasingly popular and are more widely available now than they’ve ever been, but it still might take some time for your guests to find their specific wines for this tasting, depending on where you live. If you can receive alcohol shipments from New York, shopping can be as easy as visiting Orange Glou, but in other markets, finding your wine might take some online searching and possibly even a few retail visits. It’s a good idea to give your guests at least two weeks to prepare.
Cost-wise, you might think that all orange wines are low- to mid-priced, but there are some pricey options on the market, too, like some of the wines from orange wine icons Joško Gravner and Stanko Radikon. You know your guests best, so it’s up to you to decide if you’d like to set a spending range or let your guests determine what they’re each comfortable spending on their wines for this tasting.
Universal wine glasses suit these wines well, and it’s also a good idea to give the wines a bit of chill before tasting. If any of your guests purchase lightly or fully sparkling orange wines, be sure to chill them fully before opening. Having an ice bucket on hand for any guests who might have skipped this step is a good idea.
A note on the tasting order: Since there are varying styles of orange wine produced in each of the countries included in this tasting, I recommend starting with Pinot Grigio Ramato, and then tasting the subsequent wines from palest to darkest color as best you can. Color doesn’t necessarily correlate completely to body, but it’s still a good rule of thumb, since darker-colored orange wines are likely to have longer skin contact or skin contact at higher fermentation temperatures, resulting in wines that are usually fuller-bodied with more tannin.
Sources
Simon J Woolf, Amber Revolution: How the world learned to love orange wine
