Coined the “new rose” by some, orange wine has seen a surge in popularity recently. You may have noticed it on the menu at trendy restaurants and wine bars over the past few years. But what is it made from? Where did it come from? And what does it taste like? Keep reading to learn about orange wine.
What is it?
No, orange wine isn’t made from oranges and it isn’t sweet. Orange wine is simply white wine made more like red wine.
Typically white wine is made by removing the skins and seeds from the grape before pressing them into juice. This process known as pressing removes most of the naturally occurring tannins and has an impact on the color of the wine. Without contact with the skin, the grape juice will produce white wine and be light in body.
Unlike white wine, orange wine is allowed to macerate, or soak in their own juices, with skin and/or seed contact for a certain period of time. This prolonged time with skin contact imparts color, tannins, and nutty aromas and flavors not typically found in white wines. The name “orange wine” comes from the amber-like hue that many skin-contact wines have, although there are some that aren’t orange at all. In Georgia these wines are called Amber wines, which seems a more accurate description. In addition, skin contact on white wines offers a natural form of protection meaning that very little sulfur is needed to stabilize the wine, making it a popular style in natural wine.
Traditionally, orange wines were fermented in clay pots or amphorae (called qvevri in Georgia), however winemakers today also ferment orange wines in stainless steel, cement, or in wood barrels.
History
Thanks to carbon dating, we know that wine was being made in 57 BCE in Georgia. In ancient Georgia, wine was fermented in egg-shaped clay vessels, called qvevri. Traditionally qvevri were lined with beeswax and were sealed and buried underground for five to six months while the wine fermented. Although qvevris are a piece of Georgia’s past, they are still used in Georgia today. UNESCO even added the usage of qvevri in Georgian winemaking to a list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.” I think UNESCO will be happy to know that qvevri usageis being well safeguarded.
The resurgence of skin-contact wines in modern times can be traced back to the mid-90s in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northern Italy. In both Fruili and across the border in nearby Slovenia, a group of winemakers like ‘Stanko’ Radikon & Josko Gravner began to macerate their white wines.
After frustration with mediocre vintages of Ribolla Gialla, Radikon felt that Ribolla Gialla, a thick skinned and not overtly aromatic white grape, could make better wine. In 1995, Radikon applied the technique of skin-contact, then considered “antiquated”, as his grandfather did several decades before, with incredible results. Radikon felt that consumers could finally taste and enjoy the full potential of the Ribolla Gialla grape, a grape so often used to produce bland table wine. In 1997 Radikon made a shift to employ the use of skin-contact with all of their white wine production. A cult-like following of the winery continues on today, 5 years after Stanko’s death.
Fellow Fruili winemaker Josko Gravner, owner of Azienda Agricola Gravner, visited California in 1987. After tasting thousands of wine from the then up-and-coming wine regions, he returned home dismayed. He saw how much potential and excitement the winemakers in California had at the time and was tired of making the same typical wines. Gravner began to study the history of wine and eventually looked to the birthplace of wine–Georgia. But Georgia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, followed by a civil war until 1993, making a visit not possible. In 2000 Gravner was finally able to visit and was so impressed with the ancient wine making techniques he began to make skin-contact wines using qvevri in Italy.
In more recent years while Georgia was apart of the Soviet Union, it exported over 80% of its annual wine production to quench the thirst of the Russians, wine quality being considerably less important than quantity. However in 2006, Georgia was forced to look to the west for import markets following a Russian imposed embargo. As a result, Georgian winemakers began to focus more on quality and have adapted production to suit western tastes. Today Georgian wine can be found throughout the UK and is even popping up in the US and European markets.
Today Georgia’s winemaking scene is seeing a boost in popularity driven in part by new winemakers who are embracing the ancient winemaking techniques and varietals, or grapes, of the region. New winemakers in Georgia like Baia Abuladze and John Wurdeman are helping reinvigorate the wine industry and strike interest in foreign markets. As of 2018, Georgia exports wine to 53 countries, with Russia still taking the top spot since the embargo was lifted in 2013. According to the National Wine Agency of Georgia, the US is now the 10th largest export market. However as Georgia continues to eye the United States, UK, and the EU markets, expect to see even more of these wines.
According to a Georgian folktale, if you make a wine beautiful enough, it will bring tears of joy to a pheasant’s eyes. This story being the inspiration and namesake of Georgia’s most famous winery, Pheasant’s Tears. In the Khaketi region, Pheasant’s Tears continues to embrace the use to native varietals and qvevri aging. The winery was founded in 2006 by American artist John Wurdeman after he fell in love with the wine, culture, and Georgian cuisine during a visit. Along with Gela Patalishvili, 8th generation Georgian winemaker, Wurdeman loves to share the traditions and cuisine of Georgia with the world. Wurdeman only uses varietals native to Georgia and ages all wines, both red and white, in qvevri.
In Western Georgia, Baia Abuladze studied winemaking with her grandfather as a little girl. In 2015, at the age of 22, she and her sister Gvanca took over her family’s 1.5 hectare vineyard. The sisters use high acid and mineral driven varietals native to Imereti, most of which are typically used in sparkling wine production. A majority of their wines have skin contact and are fermented in qvevri but most are aged in stainless steel. Baia’s wines tend to be softer and lighter than their counterparts in Khaketi. Baia even stated in a Food & Wine interview, “I don’t drink much Kakhetian wine. Those long-skin-contact ambers are just too harsh for me.”
What does it taste like?
The first step to tasting and enjoying orange wine is with setting expectations. Because the grape skins are used in the production of orange wine, it is typically higher in tannins than white wines, resulting in wines that have more complex flavors than typical white wines but with some refreshing qualities of white wine. Someone who drinks a skin-contact wine with the idea that it’s “like rosé” will no doubt be disappointed. Orange wines aren’t ice cream, they won’t make everyone happy.
Because there is so much variation in the varietals and style of winemaking, the body and flavors can vary significantly. Meaning just because you don’t like one orange wine doesn’t mean you won’t like them all. Lighter and more refreshing styles of skin-contact wine are made from Grenache Blanc here in Spain and Pinot Grigio in Northern Italy. Even as an adventurous drinker there are some that I personally don’t care for and some I love.
A good place to start is at a wine bar or restaurant that offers an orange wine by the glass, although that may be tough to find in many places. When buying an orange wine, it’s good to check what grape it’s made from, the region, and/or read some of the reviews. If you’re new to orange wine, don’t dive off the deep end and buy a bottle of a pricey bottle that is described as “funky with the consistency of milk” (YES, it exists!). When I’m drinking orange wines, I like to think I’m drinking wine as it was made thousands of years ago.
Some common flavors & aromas can include:
- Orange peel
- Nuts
- Fruity beer
- Stone-fruits like apricot or peach
- Sourdough bread
Orange or amber wines should be served slightly cool, but not cold. Depending on the wine, you may want to decant orange wines and allow them to breathe.
Why try orange wine?
My first thought is, why the hell not? It’s January 2021 and a group of rioters took over the US Capitol building. Who knows what February will bring?
In all seriousness, the robust flavors, tannins and possible acidity make orange wines great food wines. They pair well with full flavored foods, depending on the varietal they are made from. Orange wines are great with several notoriously “tough to pair foods” including both pickled foods and dishes with a lot of garlic. I tend to eat a lot of spicy Indian and Asian foods, both of which pair very well with orange wine. A vegan friend of mine swears by orange wine, claiming it is one of the few wines that pairs both with her carnivore boyfriend’s hamburgers as well as her veggie burgers. I’ve yet to try orange wines with beef or lamb, but I don’t doubt there’s an orange wine that will pair perfectly!
Orange wines to try:
California- Field Recordings Skin
Made in the Central Coast of California, Skins is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris. This is a lighter style of skin-contact, that is fruit forward and light enough to be sipped and can be paired with spicy dishes or grilled meats. Grab several bottles, if you can find it!
$24
Georgia- Pheasant’s Tears Kisi
All of the amber wines from Pheasant’s Tears have a cult-like following, but also tend to be polarizing so if you’re new to orange wine I wouldn’t start with this bottle. The Kisi has lovely perfume-like qualities of orange, yeast, and honey. It’s unfiltered, full-bodied, and shockingly tannic, reminiscent to a tart sour beer. While I wouldn’t recommend the Kisi as an aperitif, it pairs extremely well with spicy and full flavored foods.
Side note, I happened to be eating a beet salad with my Piri Piri chicken and it was a fantastic pairing. The earthy/mineral qualities of the wine was brought out by the beets. I think this may have been the first successful wine pairing I’ve found for beets.
23€ on Gourmet Hunters
Sicily- COS Pithos Bianco
This might be my favorite skin-contact wine right now. It’s made from the Garganega grape, called Grecanico in the Vittoria DOC in Sicily. I could sit and just smell this wine for hours- it’s so soft with floral & with notes of stone fruit. On the palate, it’s more subdued and gentle than other skin contact wines, making it even okay for an aperitif. I LOVE the rollercoaster ride that is drinking this complex wine- the floral and herbaceous notes, fruit, spice, followed by hints of salinity. I strongly suggest letting this wine breathe before serving, I was pleasantly surprised how well it opened up in my fridge overnight.
27€ on Gourmet Hunters
While I don’t agree that orange wine is the new rosé or that orange wine is for everyone, expect to see more of these skin contact wines popping up in restaurants and wine bars near you.
Who has tried orange wine? Are you a fan like me or would you rather water the plants with it?
