In the summer, you likely reach for a glass or white or rosé to sip on poolside or at backyard barbeques, right? ‘Tis the season, after all! But the drink of the past few summers hasn’t been either one of those – it’s been orange wine. Nope, not an aperol spritz – although that’s a signature summer bevvie for sure – but a wine whose color rests somewhere between white and pink.
Orange wine production is an age-old practice, dating back thousands of years in what’s now the country of Georgia. But its popularity only started picking up again in the last two decades or so, according to Wine Folly. Italians (obviously) have kept up the practice, mostly in northern Italy, with their native grapes.
So, is orange wine made with orange grapes? Is it rosé that’s just sat in the sun for a little too long? Are there actual oranges in there somewhere?! No to all of the above.
Think of orange wine as the best of both worlds between white and red wines. The trick is skin contact. While all red wines are made with skin contact (meaning the grapes’ skin, seeds and all are kept in contact with the juice while it ferments), red wines are made by removing the skins from the juice after the grapes are crushed. To get an orange wine, you use white grapes, but use skin contact production.
Skin contact is a more natural process, so orange wines typically have little additives and result in a more tart flavor, and can leave some tannins on the tongue. You’ll recognize tannins from red wine, which – you guessed it – are a product of grape skins. As such, orange wines usually aren’t served too chilled, and a decanter wouldn’t hurt. Flavor-wise, expect some fruity notes, like jackfruit, with earthier tones of honey, hazelnuts and juniper.
Some think orange wine is closer to rosé, which isn’t entirely wrong. Rosé is made like red wine in that it goes through the maceration process – aka skin contact. To make a rosé, vintners just keep the skins in contact with the wine for less time. The common denominator here? Grape skin!
TL;DR: Think of orange wine as your summer-friendly red, a bold little guy with a smooth enough finish for these warm months. Happy drinking!