The specialty of Orange Wines

Orange wine has a few different names that you'll come across on bar menus, including "skin-contact" and "amber wine". Skin contact is probably the best name for it as it tells you exactly how the wine is made, which is what gives it the orange hue.

Essentially, Orange wine is a type of white wine where the juice is left in contact with the skin for longer than a traditional white. The skin of course has colour, tannin, flavour and phenols (natural compounds) that are not desireable in conventional whites. On the other hand, for red wines this skin-contact is a necessary step in the process. So, an orange wine is a white wine made in the same way as a red wine.

The skin gives them unique flavours that are unlike any wine you've had before. Flavours are bold, nutty and honeyed with more interesting notes like bruised apple and varnish in the mix. The tannin and phenols give it a dry texture with some grip and body quite beyond your usual whites. They are a bit like marmite but for anyone interested in wine, you really ought to try them.

The History Of Orange Wine

Orange wine stretches all the way back to the beginning of wine itself, 5,000 years ago in Georgia. These wines were fermented on their skins in amphora and you'll find a number of Georgian producers emulating this technique today. Look for Qvevri (amphora) on the label.

This style never died but certainly hasn't been at the forefront of the wine world since its incarnation. The 1950s and 60s saw a resurgence of the wines in Italy and Slovenia, but fell out of fashion with the advent of fresh, dry whites that are most prevalent today. However, tastes change and the wine world evolves, and we are now seeing orange wines more and more often. Italy, Slovenia and Georgia are still the main countries producing this style, but you can find them from all over the world.

Italian Orange Wines - The majority of production is near the Slovenian border in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and made from indigenous grapes. These are Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Pinot Grigio.

Slovenian Orange Wines - As you might expect, Slovenian orange wines are made on the Italian border in Goriška Brda. Here, Orange wine is almost free-flowing and bars even pour it into regular glasses it is so staple.