Orange, a.k.a. skin contact wines, a.k.a amber wines – so many names and so many different opinions! Some consider orange wines too rustic and think of them as just another hipster trend. Others love the character and the mind-blowing intensity of flavours. One thing is certain: orange wines have a very distinctive personality and thus, they deserve their own name and place in the wine world. 

Simon Woolf, editor of The Morning Claret and author of the most famous book on orange wines, The Amber Revolution, writes: ‘Just like great Barolo, truly great orange wines have tension, lift and power. In a world full of blandness and uniformity, they are less the emperor’s new clothes, more the adventurer’s new playground’. So if you are ready to play, read on!

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What Is Orange Wine And Why Is It Called Skin Contact?

Orange, or skin contact, wines are far from being a passing trend. In fact, they are as old as winemaking itself. This ancient method dates back to 6,000 BC! Supposedly, it originates from Georgia which is, by the way, considered the cradle of winemaking.

Effectively, orange wine is a white wine… made as if it were a red. So yes, it is made of white grapes.

However, unlike with your usual white wine, the grape juice ferments with the skins, sometimes seeds and even parts of the stems. Some go as wild as putting all stems in. This ‘skin contact’ can last anything from 4 days to 1 year – depending on the winemaker’s vision and on the local traditions.

Gradually, because of the prolonged skin contact, the grape juice obtains a gorgeous amber colour. At the same time, the wine is enriched with tannins and an array of aromas. Typical notes include orange peel and marmalade, dry apricots, figs, aromatic herbs, tea leaf, toasted almonds and honey – just to name a few. Fuller body and complexity of flavours make orange wines incredibly food-friendly. Indeed, these wines have enough character to withstand almost any dish. And when it comes to flavourful foods, be it Moroccan, Indian, Vietnamese or Korean cuisines, orange wines work wonders of food and wine pairing.

 

Fifty Shades Of Orange Wine

Interestingly, orange wine is not always orange. In fact, it can be anything from pale gold to dark amber. The longer the juice is kept on the skins, the darker the colour. No wonder there is an ongoing argument about what to call this type of wine!

It is David Harvey, a UK wine importer, who we have to thank for the term ‘orange wine’. He first used it in 2004, describing orange wines from Italy. As Harvey explained later, ‘I didn’t set out to invent a word, I just used it naturally and it stuck.’ That said, some wine experts prefer to use a more poetic term ‘amber wine’, or the Italian word ‘ramato’, while others think ‘skin contact’ is the most accurate description of this style.

 

Where Is Orange a.k.a. Skin Contact Wine Made?

In Georgia, orange wines are known as ‘qvevri’ – named so after the traditional winemaking vessels.

Qvevri are large clay amphorae. They are buried underground in big cellars called marani. This creates a natural temperature control during fermentation. To make wine, qvevri are filled with pressed grape juice, skins, seeds and sometimes parts of the stems. All of this is left to ferment for months. Further on, the wine is carefully moved into a clean qvevri for ageing.

Complex and deep, Georgian qvevri wines are amongst the top orange wines in the world. And if you are into this wine style, Mildiani  qvevri wines are definitely a must try!

 

In Italy, orange wines are known as ‘ramato’ which translates as ‘auburn’. This wine style is quite popular in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Here, skin contact wines are made of various local white grapes, including Sauvignon Vert (Friulano), Ribolla Gialla, and Pinot Grigio.

In Slovenia, skin contact wines have a very long history. In 1844, a local priest, Matija Vertovec, wrote Vinoreja za Slovence (Winemaking for Slovenians). The book talks about ‘the old Vipava method’ of keeping the white grapes on skins for a week (Vipava is a Slovenian wine region). Today, producers like Burja, Nando and Matic make stunning, well-rounded skin contact wines which are loved world-wide.

 

 

Another orange wine country is Austria. This small wine producing nation has become a trailblazer of organic and biodynamic winemaking.

Austrian winemakers’ love for a natural approach led to the popularity of skin contact method – as one of the best way to express the aromas of white grapes, just the way nature created them. The proximity of Slovenia also played its part and now winemakers like Arnold Holzer create marvelous orange wines of local grape varieties.

 

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Orange, amber, ramato, skin contact or qvevri – whatever you to call this style, it is the quality of wines that truly matters. Sipping a well-made orange wine is an experience. It will blow your mind with a myriad of aromas and flavours, yet it will most likely taste like nothing you have had before. These are unique, distinctive wines which tell the story of their origin.

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