Orange Wine: The New Old Wine Colour

Updated: Everything about production, history, styles and serving is now gathered on our Orange Wine page, featuring all 64 available orange wines.

There is something special about orange wines that makes them a fascinating choice in any season. They uniquely combine the refreshing character of white wines with the structure of reds. The intense colour displayed in a glass of orange wine can brighten any moment and create a soothing atmosphere. In recent years, these wines have won a steadily growing following, even among the most sceptical and traditional wine lovers. Let us delve deeper into this distinctive style of wine, which unites wine cultures and traditions. Perhaps along the way we shall discover more about the allure of these remarkable wines…

The origins of orange wine

The name “Orange Wine” was first used in 2004 by wine merchant David Harvey whilst tasting some examples in Italy. He may have coined the term, but he neither invented the style nor was Italy its country of origin…

Firstly, how do we make orange wine? The deep, intense colour results from prolonged skin contact during the maceration of white grapes. Essentially, we use the same method as for red winemaking, but with white grapes. The juice typically remains in contact with the skins (and sometimes also the pips and even the stems) for anywhere from a week to a year. This variation determines not only the intensity of the colour (due to the pigments) but also the substances extracted: more or less pronounced aromas and subtle or grippy tannins.

Another crucial element in the production of orange wines is the vessel in which they macerate (and eventually mature): probably the best known is the Qvevri, a type of large amphora often buried in the ground. (You can read more about amphorae here.) However, winemakers may also use wooden casks, stainless steel tanks, concrete or glass vessels… In most cases, they prefer open-top containers so that the skins floating on the surface of the must can be regularly punched down, thereby preventing microbial issues.

Georgia: the homeland of orange wine

Now that we have already mentioned the Qvevri, it is time to travel to the region widely recognised as the birthplace of orange wines: Georgia. I cannot stress enough how closely wine is intertwined with social and political change, and Georgia’s wine history is the perfect example. Winemaking in the region, whereby grapes, skins and pips are fermented together in buried Qvevris for nine months, has been documented since at least 6,000 BC. The first threat to this great tradition came from German immigrants who introduced the “European” style of winemaking in the 19th century.

In many places, Qvevris were replaced by wooden casks and the classic skin contact for white grapes was abandoned. Yet what nearly erased Georgia’s wine heritage was Soviet rule in the 20th century. The industrialisation of every winemaking process to meet consumer demand favoured quantity over quality. Very little of Georgia’s traditional winemaking remained. Fortunately, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a handful of outsiders discovered several producers still practising the traditional method.

This marked the beginning of a movement that turned another region with a highly complex history into a sort of “second home” for orange wines: Friuli, specifically the area known as Collio, and its “cousin” Goriška Brda on the Slovenian side. It would take an entire newsletter just to cover the wealth of producers from this area and how they have influenced modern orange winemaking. To name but two, Joško Gravner and Stanko Radikon will undoubtedly always be remembered for their contribution. Gravner and Radikon brought Georgian amphorae to Friuli and became the new prophets of skin-macerated white wines.

Let’s go orange!

Orange wines are now produced in many other regions beyond their countries of origin, Georgia and northern Italy. Here at Living Wines, we have selected two estates from Sicily and Austria that differ greatly in both style and result. They illustrate how this ancient technique has evolved over time.

Marco de Bartoli, Sicily

Marco de Bartoli is a name that crops up frequently, not only in this newsletter but in any discussion about Sicilian wine. Try a glass of his iconic Vecchio Samperi at the end of your meal, or perhaps an aperitif with his lightly oxidised Terzavia Cuvée VS, and you will immediately understand why we admire him so much!

Today, however, our focus is on his Integer Grillo Sicilia, one of the two orange wines produced by the estate. “Integer” is the Latin word for “whole” or “untouched”, perfectly reflecting the philosophy behind this wine. The Integer Grillo Sicilia DOC is made exclusively from Grillo, an indigenous Sicilian variety grown in Contrada Samperi, a plot of land just outside Marsala that is more than 20 years old. The vineyard is tended with minimal intervention, and the same approach applies in the cellar: spontaneous fermentation on the skins in used barrels and amphorae, followed by bottling after ten months on fine lees, without filtration or fining.

The result is a superb introduction to the world of orange wines. The citrus notes typical of Grillo give way to dried orange peel and subtle oxidative nuances. On the palate, polished tannins from skin contact provide texture, paving the way for (once again) fresh citrus flavours, pleasant bitterness and a pronounced saline note.

We recommend serving it between 13° and 16°, alongside boldly flavoured cuisine.

Heinrich, Burgenland

Let us turn to Austria: Heinrich is a well-known name in the natural wine movement and an estate that has shaken up the Austrian wine scene.

“Shaken up” is also what they suggest with their Muskat Freyhei… it says so on the back label, you can easily check! A completely different example of orange wine, in some ways at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Integer Grillo. In the glass, the Muskat Freyheit displays a bright, cloudy yellow. This colour comes partly from 15 days of skin contact and partly from the decision to bottle it unfiltered (shaking the bottle will stir the sediment, creating a more balanced experience throughout). Between maceration and bottling, the wine spends nine months in amphorae.

The vineyards are farmed according to biodynamic principles and the grapes are harvested by hand. As with de Bartoli, we see a commitment to low intervention at every stage of the process.

In this instance, the light tannic structure resulting from skin contact complements the fresh and perfectly integrated acidity in an ideal manner. While the nose offers a wonderful bouquet of white flowers (jasmine, lime blossom, orchid…), the palate reveals a clean, fresh wine with a long-lasting finish on notes of citrus and spice. Be creative with your food pairings; this is a wine that can handle some experimental cuisine!

Enjoy discovering this exciting new old wine colour.

Here you will find the entire Orange Wine range

from Living Wines

Text: Jonathan Gobbi
Photo credits:
Matassa bottle: Mitya Taits
Shavnabada Monastery: By Paata Vardanashvili from Tbilisi, Georgia – Shavnabada, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3239201
Gernot Heinrich: Weingut Heinrich