Once Upon a Time, Orange Wine

Orange wines are not made from oranges! The term orange wine designates a wine produced from white grapes that have been in contact with their skins and seeds during fermentation. Normally white grapes are harvested, pressed, and the juice fermented without skin and seed contact. If the skins and seeds are left in contact with the juice during fermentation, extra flavors, a bit of tannin, and some measure of color are extracted into the juice. This is then an orange wine, or as is sometimes called today, an amber wine.

Over the past decade or so winemakers have become fond of experimenting with orange wines. Why? It seems that more focus has been placed on the natural wine movement and the annals of wine history in which orange wines played a significant role. Before modern technology, particularly presses, temperature-controlled tanks, and commercial yeast strains, historical winemakers had just one basic way to make wine – harvest grapes, smash grapes, and allow the resulting mixture of juice, skins, and seeds to ferment over native yeast. This was done with both red and white grapes. Of course, significant color was extracted from the skins of red grapes to produce red wine, but there was some color (orange hue) extracted from the white grape skins and lignins in the grape seeds, too.

This method of winemaking has been chronicled back in history, particularly in the Middle East and Western Asian regions that include what is today Georgia (the country, not the U.S. state), formerly part of the Soviet Union. The process of making orange wine is ancient, but recently winemakers all over the world have become interested in this historical, more natural method. Historians have documented the way orange wines were made in the Caucasus or modern-day Georgia as far back as 5,000 years ago. Back then, wines fermented in large earthenware vessels called Kvevri (Kev-ree) over natural yeasts that came with the grapes. These vessels were often buried in the ground to help with temperature control and were closed with snug-fitting stones sealed with beeswax. The wine in the vessel was then left to ferment for a few days up to several months before being opened and consumed. Primitive? Yes! But it seemed to get the job done.

With orange wine being part of the natural wine movement, many winemakers today experiment with this minimum-intervention process, often using no additives and only the native yeasts found on grape skins. The wines can be made in normal stainless steel tanks, in barrels or oak vessels, in the now popular concrete “eggs,” or even in clay amphora like those used by the ancients. The wines can be in contact with their skins and seeds for just a few hours up to a year or more, depending on the intended style.

This can make the finished orange wines taste a bit different from typical white wines. Orange wines have been described as white wines for red wine drinkers. They can be bold with aromas of nuts, bruised apples, linseed oil, juniper or cedar, sourdough bread, and dried orange rind. The flavors can be bold, often with a slightly sour taste, almost like fruit beers, a nuttiness that comes from oxidation, and hints of astringent tannins not usually found in white wines (except for some that have been fermented or aged in barrels and have picked up oak tannin).

Bolder food pairings are recommended for orange wines like Indian curry dishes, Moroccan or Ethiopian cuisine, Korean dishes that feature spicy barbecue or kimchi, and traditional Japanese cuisine, including fermented soybeans. Due to the high phenolic content (tannin and bitterness) and the nutty tartness they exhibit, orange wines can also pair with a wide variety of meats, ranging from beef to fish.

Winemakers in many countries and wine regions around the world are experimenting with orange wines. In northeastern Italy, near Slovenia, various grapes like Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Pinot Grigio are being processed into orange wines. The same is happening in neighboring Slovenia where sometimes herbs like rosemary, bay leaves, and sage can be added to introduce new flavors. In Georgia, considered the birthplace of orange wine, traditional amphora, or Kvevri are still being used for production. An indigenous grape called Rkatsiteli (awr-kat-seh-telly), which is known to produce a deep red-orange hue is often used in Georgia and is gaining attention in many other wine regions, especially the U.S.

In the U.S., folks are looking for opportunities to produce orange wines. New York seems to lead the pack, while versions in California, Oregon, Washington, and Texas are known. Even the classic Georgian grape Rkatsiteli is making an appearance along with Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Picpoul Blanc, and other white varieties. Other New World producers in Australia and South Africa are also experimenting with orange wines.

Even in the established wine regions of Europe orange wines are becoming more common. In France, particularly in the Jura region, an oxidative style of winemaking is used to produce wines similar in color and taste to orange wines. In some warm, arid areas in southern France orange wines are coming from various white varieties. Austria, famous for Grüner Veltliner wines, has also established a tradition of orange wine production.

The orange wine movement has become so popular that a book was written on the subject: Amber Revolution by Simon J. Woolf. The author visited many areas to learn about and taste orange wines and published the story of his explorations in 2018.

One interesting fallout from orange wine’s popularity is the interest in less traditional vessels for fermentation and aging. Instead of stainless steel and oak, winemakers are experimenting with concrete tanks, long used in southern France, and the now popular concrete eggs. Other types of ceramic and earthenware vessels are also being used to produce wines more connected in style to those of ancient Georgia.

Finally, it seems like we could find a better name for orange wines that might be less confusing and more representative of the production style. There are other names, like amber and copper, being used to represent orange wines on labels. In northeastern Italy, the term Ramato, which means auburn, is often used on labels for Pinot Grigio made in an orange wine style. Some folks just use the term “skin contact” or “skin fermented” white wine to describe an orange wine. However, until something better comes along, we may be stuck with the name orange wine for the foreseeable future.

Several orange wines were mentioned in a Texas Monthly article by Amanda Albee³ along with some places in the state that were known to serve them. Regan Meador at Southold Farm + Cellar in the Texas Hill Country (now closed) produced several skin-contact white wines that have been popular (see Figure 2). Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, TX, introduced a Viognier orange wine a few years ago that raised the eyebrows of typical white wine drinkers. A past offering of Ramato (Pinot Grigio) wine by Randy Hester, C L Butaud Wines, was also reported.

Otto’s German Bistro and La Bergerie market and wine shop in Fredericksburg have introduced diners and tasters to several orange wines over the past few years. Places in Dallas, Austin, and Houston were also mentioned in the Texas Monthly article, and some of the sommeliers interviewed noted that orange wines can be a good accompaniment to Texas barbecue.

Other Texas winemakers responded to the query about orange wines. Rob Nida, Pebble Rock Cellars, indicated he had not made a full-on orange wine but had made some short-period skin contact white wines for clients. Nolan Newsom, Newsom Vineyards @ Comfort, replied that he has made several orange wines over the years. One was a skin-fermented Orange Muscat. He also produced a Ramato-style skin-fermented Pinot Grigio that is currently on the tasting menu showing almost like a rosé that is sunset orange in color. Nolan further commented that over six years of experiments, he has developed his own non-traditional method for producing orange wines from Pinot Grigio, Albarino, and Muscat that would not be overly tannic. By following his red wine protocols with no oak contact, Nolan has made fruity orange wines that drink well, chilled or not, with smooth, mildly tannic finishes.

John Rivenburgh, proprietor and winemaker at Kerrville Hills Winery, made a 2015 Roussanne orange wine that was eventually blended into an enriched Roussanne bottling at Bending Branch Winery. In 2016, John made a Picpoul Blanc orange wine with fruit from Timmons Estate Vineyard on the Texas High Plains (see Figure 5). The idea was to let the wine age, and there have been three releases over the past six-plus years. A small amount of this interesting wine is still available in the Kerrville Hills Winery tasting room just north of Kerrville. Tasting notes: aromas of pecan, baked apple, some bread dough notes, and a bit of citrus; bold on the palate with some tannin, good acidity, slight bitterness like a citrus-flavored beer, hint of nuttiness but no real oxidation; still fresh and clean, full-bodied with soft tannins on a lingering finish. Interesting and tasty.

There are likely more Texas orange wines out there just waiting to be discovered. Now it is up to you, the reader and wine drinker, to venture out and explore this fascinating segment of the wine world. Your mission is to find and sample Texas versions of orange wine – Enjoy!

References:

• Everything You Want To Know About Orange, by Madeline Puckette, https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/orange-wine
• How Orange Wine’s Popularity Is Educating a New Generation of Wine Drinkers, by Emily Saladino, https://www.bonappetit.com/story/orange-wine-popularity
• The Funky Floral Rise of Orange Wine In Texas, by Amanda Albee, 04-Jun-2021, Texas Monthly