so what is orange wine?

Orange wine is wine that has been made using white grapes that have been crushed and left on their skins for some time before fermentation. A simple way of saying this is – white wine made with skin contact.

what is skin contact?

The best way to describe skin contact is to start with red wine. When making red wine the grapes are crushed then the skins are left to sit in the juice in order to extract flavour and tannin. Using skin contact is like making a cup of tea! How long do you leave the bag in?

“Using skin contact is like making a cup of tea! How long do you leave the bag in?”

When white wine is made, the grapes are crushed and pressed instantly. They have no skin contact so all of the fruity flavour comes from the pulp and not the skins.

So orange wine is simply white wine made using skin contact.

what does it taste like?

Orange wine differs not only in colour to white wine. Flavours and tannins are taken from the skin contact which affects the way it smells tastes and feels. Some are still fresh and fruity, others have quite extreme savoury and spicy flavours. Cidery notes is something you will often hear. Orange wines can vary enormously in style, dependent on the amount of time skin contact is allowed (not to mention myriad other conditions that make wine so diverse). It’s not uncommon for people to say that they don’t like orange wine after trying one, and it is not to everyone’s taste. Before you make you decision however, it’s definitely worth trying a few. It may be that you don’t like the wine itself rather than the fact that it’s orange.

“Some are still fresh and fruity, others have quite extreme savoury and spicy flavours. Cidery notes is something you will often hear.”

Saying you don’t like orange wine is like saying you don’t like white wine or red wine. Most people would only come to that conclusion after trying more than one!

Is it new?

Whilst orange wine has been getting a lot of attention recently, it is a very traditional way of making white wine that has been around for thousands of years.

TIP: Try tasting orange wine with your eyes closed and imagine it’s a chilled red wine. This will completely change your perception of it and may even increase your enjoyment of it!