What is orange wine? The complete guide

Orange wine is white wine made like red. Instead of pressing the skins away immediately after harvest, the white grapes ferment in contact with their skins — sometimes for days, sometimes for months. The skins give the wine its amber or deep gold colour, its tannins and an aromatic world completely unlike conventional white wine.

It is not flavoured with oranges. The name comes from the colour — though even that varies from pale gold to deep amber depending on how long the skins stayed in contact with the juice.

The method is not new. Georgia has been making wine this way for approximately eight thousand years, using clay vessels called qvevri buried in the ground. The grapes — skins, seeds, stems and all — ferment and age in these vessels without temperature control, without additives. The United Nations recognised Georgian qvevri winemaking as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.

What is new is the name. The term "orange wine" was coined by importer David Harvey around 2004. Before that, there was no category — just wine made the old way, without a modern label to put on it.

The process starts like any white wine: white grapes are harvested and brought to the winery. The difference is what happens next.

In conventional white winemaking, the grapes are pressed immediately — the juice separated from the skins and fermented alone. In orange winemaking, the whole grapes or crushed grapes ferment together with their skins. The length of this skin contact determines the style: shorter contact gives a lighter, more floral wine; longer contact gives deeper colour, more tannin and greater complexity.

The skins act as a natural preservative, which is why orange wines — particularly those made in the Georgian tradition — often need little or no added sulphur.

Orange wine occupies its own flavour territory. It is neither white nor red — it has the fruit of white wine and the structure of red. Common aromas and flavours: dried apricot, peach, tea, walnut, chamomile, honey and warming spice.

The texture is the most distinctive element. Where conventional white wine is typically smooth and refreshing, orange wine has grip — a slight dryness from the tannins that makes it feel more substantial in the mouth. This grip is what makes it such a versatile food wine.

The modern orange wine movement began in a small village on the Italian-Slovenian border. In 1997 Joško Gravner, a successful conventional winemaker in Friuli, visited Georgia and returned with a completely different idea of what white wine could be. From 2001 he began vinifying in qvevri, with long skin contact and no added sulphur.

His neighbour Stanko Radikon arrived at the same conclusion independently at the same time. From Oslavje — a village of a few hundred people — the modern orange wine movement spread to the rest of the world.

Orange wine's tannins and texture make it one of the most food-friendly wine styles in existence. It handles dishes that defeat both white and red:

Spiced food — the structure absorbs heat and spice in ways that white wine cannot. Thai, Indian, North African and Mexican cuisines all pair well.

Umami-rich food — aged cheeses, charcuterie, mushroom dishes, fermented foods. The tannins cut through richness and complement savoury depth.

Simply prepared fish and vegetables — orange wine with enough freshness works beautifully with grilled fish, roasted vegetables and light pasta.

Avoid: very delicate dishes where the wine's tannins would overwhelm the food.

Serve at 12–14°C — warmer than conventional white, cooler than red.

Is orange wine made from oranges? No — the name refers to the colour, which comes from the grape skins during fermentation.

Is orange wine natural wine? Not necessarily — skin contact is a winemaking method, natural wine is a philosophy. But the two are closely connected: skin contact provides natural protection that reduces the need for added sulphur, which is why most orange wine producers also work without additives.

Is orange wine sweet? No — orange wine is almost always dry. The amber colour can suggest sweetness but the tannins and grip make it a dry, food-friendly style.

Why does orange wine look cloudy? Many orange wines are unfiltered — the cloudiness comes from natural particles in the wine, not a flaw.