Orange Wine

The orange wine trend in recent years might feel like something new but this is actually an ancient style of winemaking which is believed to date back thousands of years to the eastern European country of Georgia. And it has nothing to do with oranges. 

This style of wine is best explained through the process of skin contact. Usually, grapes are harvested then crushed. At this moment, the skin from the crushed grapes begins to impart flavour, texture and colour into the juice. This is what is known as the skin-contact or maceration process. With red grapes, a winemaker can produce rosé by making this maceration period very short (sometimes just a couple of hours). Generally speaking, the longer the maceration period, the more colour, tannin and flavour develops. With white grapes, it became popular to have no (or very little) skin contact which usually results in a lighter (in colour and body) white wine. Now things are changing and the natural wine revolution has brought back an array of skin contact styles made from white grape varieties. 

The character of these wines depends largely on the grape variety, the climate and duration of the skin contact process but some commonly found flavours include dried stone fruit, citrus peel, nuts and spice. They can range from light, fresh and fruity to structured, intense and savoury. It really is a whole new world of taste for our palates to explore. These wines are also very versatile when it comes to food pairings. Lightly spiced dishes from North Africa, oily fish plates and even charcuterie are all improved alongside a glass of amber coloured wine. So what are you waiting for?