The Ancient Method Making a Modern Comeback

As we step further into 2025, a wine style that has been steadily gaining popularity continues to intrigue casual drinkers and connoisseurs alike. Orange wine might sound like it's made from citrus fruits, but this fascinating beverage has nothing to do with oranges at all. Instead, it represents one of the oldest winemaking traditions experiencing a remarkable renaissance among those seeking authentic, characterful wines.

The Fourth Colour of Wine

We all know red, white and rosé wines, but orange wine completes the spectrum as the fourth major wine colour. Despite its recent surge in popularity, orange wine (also called amber wine or skin-contact white wine) dates back thousands of years to the Caucasus region—particularly Georgia, where winemakers have been crafting it in large clay vessels called qvevri for over 8,000 years.

What Makes Orange Wine Orange?

The distinctive amber-orange hue comes from a simple but transformative technique: white wine grapes are fermented with their skins and seeds intact, just like red wines. Traditional white wines, by contrast, separate the juice from the skins immediately after pressing.

This extended skin contact—ranging from a few days to several months—infuses the wine with tannins, phenols and colour compounds that create its characteristic amber to deep orange appearance. The longer the contact, the deeper the colour and more pronounced the flavour profile.

Unlike rosé Champagne, which often achieves its pink colour by blending red and white wines, orange wine's colour comes entirely from the skin contact process. There's no mixing involved—just patient maceration that extracts colour, texture and complexity.

Flavour Profile: Not for the Faint of Heart

Orange wines offer a fascinating tasting experience that combines elements of both white and red wines:

• Robust tannins that provide structure similar to red wines
• Higher acidity typical of white wines
• Complex flavour profiles featuring nuttiness, dried fruits, honey and tea-like qualities
• Occasional funky, farmyard notes that natural wine enthusiasts celebrate

This combination makes orange wines extraordinarily food-friendly, pairing beautifully with bold cuisines like Moroccan, Ethiopian, Korean and aromatic Indian dishes that might overwhelm traditional wines.

The Making of Orange Wine

The process behind orange wine is deceptively simple but requires patience and careful attention:

1. White wine grapes (often aromatic varieties like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Rkatsiteli or Gewürztraminer) are harvested.
2. Instead of pressing and removing the skins, the grapes are crushed and the entire mixture—juice, skins, seeds and sometimes stems—is left to ferment together.
3. This maceration period continues anywhere from four days to a year, depending on the winemaker's vision.
4. Many producers follow natural winemaking philosophies, avoiding additives, commercial yeasts and excessive intervention.
5. Traditional methods often involve ageing in clay amphora or qvevri buried underground, though modern techniques might use oak barrels or steel tanks.

The Renaissance of an Ancient Method

While orange wines represent a traditional approach, they've become symbols of innovation in the modern wine world. Their resurgence began in the late 1990s when winemakers in northeastern Italy and Slovenia started reviving these techniques.

Today, orange wines appear on progressive wine lists worldwide and have developed a devoted following among those seeking authentic, characterful wines with a sense of history and place.

Exceptional Producers to Explore

If you are curious to taste orange wine, you are not alone! The category has been a favourite of wine enthusiasts lately, and there are brilliant examples worth seeking out.

Radikon from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy is one of the pioneers of the modern orange wine movement. Their wines, made with extended skin contact and minimal intervention, showcase the profound complexity these wines can achieve.

Gravner, another Friulian producer, ferments and ages his wines in clay amphorae buried underground—a direct connection to the ancient Georgian tradition. His orange wines are profound, with incredible ageing potential.

In Georgia itself, producers like Pheasant's Tears create wines in traditional qvevri that deliver authentic expressions of this ancient technique with indigenous grape varieties that have been grown there for millennia.

Pairing Orange Wine

What to pair with these exceptional wines? We think they are so characterful that even red meat is not off the table. The tannic structure and complexity allow them to stand up to dishes that might typically call for a light red.

Charcuterie boards featuring aged cheeses and cured meats beautifully complement their nutty, oxidative qualities. Middle Eastern and North African cuisines with their complex spicing and bold flavours find perfect harmony with orange wines' distinctive character.

Whether you become a devoted fan or merely appreciate the experience, these amber-hued wines offer a fascinating glimpse into both wine's past and its future. As we continue to seek authenticity and connection in our food and drink, orange wine offers both—a direct link to ancient traditions that simultaneously feels thoroughly modern.