Orange wine, is in fact, not made from oranges. So what is orange wine? It’s a type of wine that is produced using white grapes and uses a process closers to how red wine is made, than how white wine is made. The result? An orange tinted wine with a unique flavor profile and texture, setting it apart from traditional white wines.
Orange wine is most typically made from white wine grapes, and just as with other wines the choice of the grape varietal will influence the finished flavor. Asides from the obvious color difference is that orange wine has prolonged contact with grape skins, allowing the pigments, flavors and tannins from the fruit to seep into the juice.The juice, along with the seeds, skins and sometimes stems are fermented all together. The length of fermentation can vary, but can often last for several weeks.
Once the fermentation is done, the wine is pressed to separate the liquor form the solids, similar to how red wine is made. The wine is then aged, some producers will age orange wine in stainless steel tanks, others have used clay amphora or classic wine barrels. Once the wine is good and aged, it’s bottled up.
Orange wine will often have notes of dried fruits, nuts, species and sometimes a subtle hint of oxidative characters resulting in the wine to have a fuller body and a more tannic structure. The uniqueness of orange wine truly brings an eye to it, no two producers have similar orange wines and each has their own story.
TLD: Orange wine is not made from oranges. It’s crafted from white grapes using a process more akin to making red wine. This creates a distinct orange-hued wine with a special taste and texture, different from regular white wines. The grapes have extended contact with their skins, infusing the juice with pigments, flavors, and tannins. After fermentation, the wine is pressed, aged, and then bottled. Orange wine often boasts flavors of dried fruits, nuts, spices, and sometimes a subtle oxidative quality, resulting in a fuller body and more tannic structure. Each producer’s orange wine is unique, making it a truly special and individualistic choice.
