Orange Wine Guide

What Is Orange Wine?

Orange wine is neither a gimmick nor a recent invention. It is, in fact, the oldest style of white wine in existence – a method of winemaking that predates the modern separation of white and red wine techniques by thousands of years. The concept is straightforward: take white grapes and vinify them like red wine, fermenting the juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period. Where conventional white winemaking immediately separates juice from skins, orange wine keeps them together for days, weeks, or even months.

The result is a wine that falls outside the familiar categories of red, white, and rose. Extended skin contact extracts pigments, tannins, and phenolic compounds from the grape skins, producing wines with a distinctive amber to deep copper color, a tannic grip that white wine normally lacks, and a complex flavor profile that can include dried apricot, bruised apple, honey, tea, herbs, and nuts. Orange wine occupies its own category – the so-called fourth color of wine – and drinking it for the first time can be a genuinely revelatory experience.

The Ancient Origins

Georgia: Where It All Began

The story of orange wine begins in the Republic of Georgia, in the South Caucasus region, where archaeological evidence dates winemaking back approximately 8,000 years. Georgian winemakers developed the qvevri (also spelled kvevri), a large egg-shaped clay vessel buried in the ground, in which whole grape clusters – juice, skins, stems, and sometimes seeds – are sealed and left to ferment and macerate for five to six months. The earth maintains a stable, cool temperature that allows a slow, gentle extraction.

This technique, known as the amber wine method, has been practiced continuously in Georgia for millennia and was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. In Georgia, orange wine is simply wine – the traditional, default method of making white wine, not a novelty or a trend.

The Italian Revival

The modern renaissance of orange wine outside Georgia began in the 1990s in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the northeastern Italian region bordering Slovenia. Pioneering producers Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon, disillusioned with the over-processed, sterile white wines they had been making, looked to Georgian tradition for inspiration. Gravner traveled to Georgia, imported qvevri, and began fermenting his Ribolla Gialla with extended skin contact. Radikon followed a similar path with extended macerations in large oak.

Their wines were shocking to the Italian wine establishment: deep amber in color, tannic, oxidative, and utterly unlike anything being made in Italy at the time. But they were also profoundly flavorful, texturally rich, and remarkably food-friendly. These producers ignited a movement that has since spread worldwide.

How Orange Wine Is Made

The process of making orange wine varies widely among producers, but the core technique involves several key decisions:

Skin Contact Duration

The length of skin contact is the single most important variable. Brief contact (a few days) produces lightly tinted, subtly textured wines not far removed from conventional whites. Extended contact (weeks to months) creates deeply colored, heavily structured wines with pronounced tannins and complex phenolic character. Most orange wines fall somewhere between one and six weeks of maceration.

Vessel Choice

• Qvevri – The traditional Georgian clay vessel, buried underground, providing stable temperature and gentle micro-oxygenation through the porous clay walls
• Oak – Large, neutral oak barrels used by many Italian and Slovenian producers, contributing texture without overt oak flavor
• Concrete – Concrete eggs and tanks that, like qvevri, offer temperature stability and subtle aeration
• Stainless steel – Used by more modern producers seeking cleaner, more fruit-forward expressions

Stems and Seeds

Some producers include grape stems during maceration (whole-cluster fermentation), adding additional tannin structure and herbal complexity. Others destem to produce softer, more approachable wines.

Sulfites

Many orange wine producers align with natural wine philosophy, using minimal or no added sulfites. However, some conventional producers also make skin-contact whites with standard sulfite additions, producing more stable and consistent wines.

What Orange Wine Tastes Like

Orange wine’s flavor profile is unlike any other wine category:

• Aromatics – Dried flowers, chamomile, saffron, honey, beeswax, dried apricot, and bruised apple
• Palate – Tannic grip and phenolic texture akin to light red wine, with flavors of nuts (walnut, hazelnut), tea (rooibos, oolong), dried fruit, and herbal notes
• Finish – Often long, slightly bitter or astringent in a pleasant, appetite-stimulating way
• Oxidative notes – Many orange wines show controlled oxidative character: amber color, nutty aromas, and a savory depth that evokes sherry or aged white Burgundy

The best orange wines balance these bold characteristics with freshness and acidity, creating wines that are simultaneously complex and highly drinkable.

Key Producers and Regions

Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)

• Josko Gravner – The godfather of modern orange wine, fermenting Ribolla Gialla in buried Georgian qvevri
• Radikon – Extended macerations of up to three months, producing deeply colored, profoundly flavored wines
• Damijan Podversic – Powerful, structured skin-contact wines from native Friulian varieties

Slovenia

• Movia – Historic estate producing elegant skin-contact wines with centuries of tradition
• Klinec – Small-production artisan wines from the Goriska Brda region

Georgia

• Pheasant’s Tears – Partnership between American winemaker John Wurdeman and Georgian grower Gela Patalishvili, producing authentic qvevri wines
• Iago’s Wine – Tiny production of pure, crystalline Chinuri in qvevri

France

• Christian Binner – Alsatian producer making remarkable skin-contact wines from the region’s aromatic varieties
• La Sorga – Languedoc producer pushing boundaries with wild, expressive macerated whites

Elsewhere

Orange wine production has spread to Australia, South Africa, California, Austria, and beyond, with producers in virtually every wine-growing country experimenting with skin-contact techniques.

Food Pairing: Orange Wine’s Secret Weapon

Orange wine may be the most versatile food wine in existence. Its combination of white wine acidity, red wine tannins, and aromatic complexity allows it to pair with foods that defeat both conventional whites and reds:

• Spiced and aromatic cuisine – Indian, Thai, Ethiopian, and Moroccan dishes that overwhelm most white wines find a perfect partner in orange wine’s tannic structure and aromatic intensity
• Aged and funky cheeses – Washed-rind, blue, and aged hard cheeses pair brilliantly with the oxidative, nutty character of orange wine
• Grilled and roasted vegetables – The smoky, caramelized flavors of grilled eggplant, peppers, and mushrooms echo orange wine’s earthy depth
• Charcuterie and cured meats – The tannins cut through fat while the aromatic complexity complements spice and salt
• Japanese cuisine – The umami depth and savory character of orange wine make it an outstanding match for miso, tempura, and grilled fish

The Controversy

Orange wine divides opinion like few other wine categories. Enthusiasts celebrate it as an authentic, ancient, and gastronomically vital category that expands what wine can be. Skeptics dismiss it as a fad driven by novelty rather than quality, arguing that extended maceration can mask grape character and produce bitter, astringent wines that lack freshness.

The reality is that orange wine, like any category, contains extraordinary wines and mediocre ones. A well-made orange wine from a skilled producer is one of the most fascinating and rewarding wines you can drink. The key is approaching it without preconceptions – do not expect it to taste like white wine, red wine, or anything else you have tried before. Let it be its own thing.

Explore Orange Wine with Sommo

Use the Sommo app to scan orange wines and learn about the producer, grape varieties, maceration technique, and food pairing suggestions. Whether you are discovering your first skin-contact wine or building a collection of your favorites, Sommo helps you navigate this ancient, exciting category with confidence.