Intrepid Imbibing, October: Orange Wines!

Various hues of "orange" wines

Many adventurous drinkers may already be familiar with skin-contact, or “orange” wines – but a lot of folks are still, sadly, in the dark. They often ask if the wine is made with oranges, are unclear about production methods, and are confused about what the wines will taste like.

So, this month's "Intrepid Imbibing" is all about orange. Let's clear up some details first...

No, there are no oranges in it, and they don’t (usually) have a Crayola-orange color.  In a way, they’re related to rosé; rosés are made from red grapes, but vinified like a white wine (namely, without much skin contact so the wine doesn’t get “dyed” deep red, but merely pink.) Orange wines are made kind of like rosé but the other way around: a white wine made in the style of a red, including longer-than-usual contact with the skins, effectively “dyeing” the white wine amber or light orange, hence the name.

But this process also adds textural and flavor elements from phenolics—chemical compounds found in grape skins, like tannin. Because of this, when you drink an orange wine, the grape’s fruitiness can seem muted, and the finish can be bitter, but skin-contact whites do come in a huge range of styles, and their savory uniqueness makes them especially fun to pair with food.

This is a very good time to ask a merchant or somm for advice, because as I hinted above, some are the funkiest sips on the planet. (I had one once that I described as “a parmesan rind that spent two weeks in a saline foot bath in the sun during a heatwave.” I was intrigued by its extreme character - but even for me, getting that last glass down was a bit rough.) Most are much more enjoyable, combining fruit with a pleasant grip, and often a gingery feel.

If you want a more "gateway" experience, seek out an orange wine made from aromatic grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc or Trebbiano, which can balance the funkier side. I like the Gulp Hablo, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo from Spain, that has the grapes macerating on their skins for about a week. It’s a bit more of a “porch pounder,” easy-drinking version. Cirelli from Abruzzo also makes a tasty, fruit-forward orange from Trebbiano that’s easy to identify; it has an orange on the label!

You could also try a ramato pinot grigio from Italy – “ramato” implies the wines had some skin contact, and as the pinot grigio grape has dark (“grey/grigio”) skins, it will pick up an amber hue easily. This category can really amp up the character of pinot grigio, sometimes with just a subtle touch.

For a savory edge, go Georgian. These skin-contact whites are commonly aged in amphora (see my August 2024 “Intrepid Imbibing” post on qvevri- or amphorae-aged whites.) Some of these can spend months – even a year – on their skins! Here, you’ll absolutely see more structure and potential funk, but many are still quite elegant and intriguingly savory.

Many good wine shops have an orange wine section these days, and they’re even showing up more on restaurant lists, so don’t be afraid to try a few and experiment! Especially on October 6th, which happens to be National Orange Wine Day.

(The seasonal timing is no coincidence - orange wines' extra texture make them perfect for "sweatah weathah" and heartier foods.)

So, grab one today, and report back! Post below in the comments when you find one, and what you think of it - I can't wait to hear. Happy Imbibing.