Sunny Side Up

Red, white, pink and now orange—the four colours of wine. Orange wine expands the colour wheel in a fresh, vibrant expression of white wine grapes.

Orange wine has found its place in the sun and is lighting up the wine scene in spectacular fashion. When you’re in, you’re in, and there is barely a wine list around that doesn’t include orange. Orange wine successfully walks the line on the right side of trendy.

The name applies to whites that are deeper in colour than classic white wines and infused with more body, tannins and complexity. Their warmer colour and character comes from extensive skin contact during fermentation and maceration.

Juice is left in contact with grape pomace (skins, pulp, pips and stems) which transforms the wine into varying shades of orange from pale gold, amber and bronze to coral, copper and orange.

In conventional white wine production, grapes are crushed, and the juice quickly moved off the skins into the fermentation vessel. The pigment, phenols and tannins found in skins that

are vital in red winemaking are usually considered undesirable for white wines.

Orange wine is a maverick that flouts convention—white wine made from white grapes in the style of red wine! The Wine and Spirit Education Trust describes it as dryer than typical whites, with notable tannins, and nutty, dried fruit flavours.

Georgian – The ‘OG’ orange wine

There are many regions that produce orange wine, including northeastern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia (where the term ‘orange’ was first termed by British wine merchant David Harvey in 2004). Across the border, Slovenia also produces orange wine. But the country with most credibility in the category is Georgia, the birthplace of wine.

Georgian qvevri are painstakingly handcrafted over several months

Although the term orange wine is relatively new, the style of wine production is ancient. Georgian winemakers have been producing skin contact wines for more than 8,000 years. The resurgence of Georgian wine on the global stage has seen interest intensify in skincontact wines, although Georgian winemakers eschew the term orange insisting amber is more accurate.

With its origins in the backyard maranis of Georgian farmers, traditional Georgian qvevri (clay vessel) wines have associations with the natural wine movement. Once the wild, untamed child of the wine world, Georgia’s amber wines are symbolic of returning to lighter-touch production methods.

In November 2020, the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV) added an 8th category to its official list of Special Wines in acknowledgement of traditional Georgian winemaking: White wine with maceration. Criteria for this new class includes prolonged maceration with skins for a minimum of one month.

John Wurdeman from Pheasant’s Tears Winery in Georgia has been a qvevri wine disciple since before orange wine was cool, having moved from Santa Fe, USA to Georgia in 1996 to immerse himself in the country’s wine, art and culture. He says orange wines are a challenge to understand and appreciate. “Orange wines have the freshness of whites with the structure of reds. They can be compared to both white and red wines, but they are their own genre,” he said.

There are no strict rules that define what orange wine is. It rests comfortably alongside natural wine, although it’s a misconception that all orange wine is natural. Orange wines are often associated with natural wines because their high tannin levels mean the wine can be bottled without the addition of suplhur dioxide. Some orange wines fall under this umbrella, but not all. You can make orange wine with conventionally manipulated grapes too.

Passion for orange and amber wines is not universal. Orange is a perplexing pigment when it comes to wine and not all drinkers are fans from first sip. Even among professionals, the category is polarising.

“I see orange wine as an alternative wine trend, rather than mainstream,” said Anty Fung, general manager at Hip Cellar. “Some styles resemble artisanal craft beer profiles. For fine wine consumers, natural and orange wines will likely remain an exotic item. Cult wines like Radikon draw curiosity, yet I don’t see them becoming popular.

“These wines shine best when they are paired with food. Natural wines are driven by café vibes and food and wine pairing experiences … They hit a sweet spot among third wave cafes, gaining a following among young people who are looking for individualistic expressions.”

Orange wines have the freshness of whites with the structure of reds.

John Wurdeman, winemaker, Pheasant’s Tears Winery