Oct 6 – Orange Wine Day #NationalOrangeWineDay
Orange Wine…yes, it can look a little coppery in the glass, possibly leaning toward peach juice. And no, it is not made with oranges!
Due to its color, we call it “orange” wine, but it is also referred to as amber wine, skin-contact wine, or “ramato” in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.
Why is the wine Orange?
Orange wine is a skin-contact wine. Made with white wine grapes, but treated as if they were red grapes. What do I mean by that?
White wines are made by quickly crushing white wine grapes to get the juice and then fermenting the juice.
Red wines are made by crushing red grapes and allowing them to ferment on their skins, which pulls the flavors and colors from the skin.
Orange wines are made by crushing white wine grapes and allowing them to ferment on their skins. Often, this is done with grapes like Pinot Gris, which is not a red or white grape but usually has a rosy grey skin. (hence the name Pinot Gris, since “gris” is French for grey)
Because they spend time on the skins, you get more flavor and tannins (tannins dry your mouth, like sucking on a tea bag!). Often, people who do a blind tasting will think these are red wines.
Many low-intervention wines (sometimes called natural wines) are made in this style. Depending on filtration methods, they can range from clear copper to murky amber.
Georgia and the origin of Orange or Amber wines
Georgia is often thought to be the birthplace of wine. Here, grapes were fermented on their skins in Qvevri, a type of amphorae (large clay or terracotta jars). A Qvevri was found that was 8,000 years old with compounds inside, showing that it was used to hold wine.
These were often buried in the ground, with just their lids above the surface. This, of course, kept the temperature more constant. Red and white wines were made in much the same way, fermenting the grapes in the Qvevri on their skins.
Today, in Georgia, winemakers are beginning to return to these ancient methods for winemaking.
Amphorae – the connection with Orange Wines
As mentioned above, early Georgian wines were made in Qvevri or amphora. Amphora wines are on the rise around the globe as winemakers look to create depth in both flavor and story with their wines. We visited several wineries in Italy using amphorae for their wines in Valtellina and Abruzzo.
In Oregon, there is a rush to secure Andrew Beckham’s handmade amphorae, and his Amphora Pinot Gris is delicious. Lucky for orange wine lovers, many other winemakers have purchased his amphorae, so more wines in this style are being made.
Troon Vineyard in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley produces Kubli Bench Amber wine.
In Italy, Albino Armani produces their Colle Ara Valdadige Terra Dei forti DOC, which is a Ramato.
In our featured image, you see a skin contact, Gewurztraminer, from the Umpqua Valley of Oregon!
**Remember that while orange wines are associated with amphora, you can make an orange wine without one. These vessels are perfect for the task, but you can make an orange wine in the same type of vessels that any red wine is made in. The main thing is to allow the grapes to ferment on their skins.
History of Orange Wine Day
This holiday was founded by Amanda Claire Goodwine of The Real House Wine in 2018.
https://therealhousewine.com/2021/09/30/awesome-orange-wines-to-celebrate-national-orange-wine-day/
At the time, orange wines were pretty hard to find! Today, you will find many smaller wine shops that carry low intervention wines will have multiple orange wines in stock! They tend to come from smaller producers, so get the story behind the winery when you get the wine!
Pairing these wines
Due to the tannins in these wines, they can stand up to bolder flavors. Curry or Indian dishes, Korean food with kimchi. These wines can also span the gap, working well with fish or beef!
More from Crushed Grape Chronicles on Orange Wines
- Lazio – Exploring low intervention wines inspired by tradition and nature #Italian FWT
- AD Beckham Amphora Pinot Gris – Day 2 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020
- A Natural Wine Fair in Las Vegas? Co-ferment was delicious!
- The call of Natural Wine
- Discover Future wines with Troon Vineyard – CGC 12 Days of Wine 2023
- Oregon Wine & Biodynamics with Troon and Winderlea
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
Leave a Reply