A glass of orange wine can look like cider, amber ale or a very pale rosé, so the first question is perfectly reasonable: what is orange wine made from? Not oranges. It is made from white wine grapes, with one crucial difference in the way those grapes are fermented.
Orange wine is white grape juice left in contact with its skins, seeds and sometimes stems while it ferments. That contact brings colour, texture and flavour into the wine. It is an old method with deep roots in places such as Georgia, and it has found a keen modern following among drinkers who enjoy characterful, food-friendly bottles.
What is orange wine made from, exactly?
The raw material is ordinary white wine grapes. Depending on the producer and region, that might mean Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Rkatsiteli, Malvasia, Muscat, Chenin Blanc or any number of local varieties.
The orange colour comes from the skins, rather than from the flesh of the grape. Although we call them white grapes, their skins are often green, yellow, pink, bronze or lightly coppery. Given enough time in the fermenting juice, those skins lend their pigments to the finished wine. The result can range from pale gold through burnished copper to deep orange-brown.
This is why the more technical name for orange wine is skin-contact white wine. The phrase may not be quite as catchy, but it tells you precisely what is happening in the cellar.
The winemaking difference: skin contact
To understand orange wine, it helps to compare it with conventional white wine. For most white wines, grapes are pressed soon after harvest and the juice is fermented away from the skins. This keeps the wine pale, fresh and usually focused on fruit and acidity.
For orange wine, the grapes are crushed or pressed more gently, then the juice ferments with the skins. A producer may leave them together for a few days, several weeks or many months. There is no single rule, and the duration makes an enormous difference to the final style.
Short skin contact can produce a bright, lightly grippy wine with peach, citrus peel and gentle floral notes. Longer maceration tends to make wines darker, more structured and more savoury, with flavours that can suggest dried apricot, tea, herbs, nuts, spice or preserved lemon.
During fermentation, the cap of grape skins often rises to the surface. The winemaker may punch it down or pump wine over it to keep the extraction even. Some wines are fermented in steel tanks, others in wooden vats, clay amphorae or Georgian qvevri - large earthenware vessels traditionally buried underground. Each choice leaves its mark.
Why orange wine has tannin
Tannin is the drying, gently bitter sensation familiar in red wine and strong tea. White grapes contain tannin too, mostly in their skins, seeds and stems, but conventional white winemaking avoids extracting much of it.
Because orange wine spends time on the skins, it often has noticeable tannin. It is not usually as firm as a big red, but it can have a pleasantly grippy finish that makes it particularly useful at the table. This texture is one reason an orange wine can suit dishes that might overwhelm a delicate white.
That said, more skin contact does not automatically mean better wine. Too much extraction, poor fruit or rough handling can leave a wine bitter and drying. The most enjoyable examples balance their savoury, textural side with enough fruit, freshness and clarity.
Orange wine is not always natural wine
Orange wine describes a method, not a philosophy. Many orange wines are made with organic or biodynamic grapes, native yeasts and minimal additions, which is why they often appear alongside natural wines on restaurant lists and shop shelves. But these are separate choices.
A producer can make an orange wine conventionally, organically, biodynamically or with a low-intervention approach. Equally, plenty of natural wines are white, red, rosé or sparkling rather than orange. If you want to know how a particular bottle was made, the producer and merchant notes matter more than the colour category alone.
There is also a common assumption that orange wine will be cloudy, funky or volatile. Some examples are deliberately wild and unfiltered, and that can be brilliant in the right hands. Others are clean, polished and precise. As with every wine style, producer skill and the condition of the fruit count for far more than a fashionable label.
Which grapes make the best orange wine?
There is no single orange-wine grape, but varieties with natural acidity, aromatic character or thicker skins are often especially successful. Pinot Grigio can make copper-coloured wines with pear, almond and gentle spice. Ribolla Gialla, widely associated with Friuli and Slovenia, can be vivid, stony and firmly textured. Georgian Rkatsiteli often brings quince, dried herbs and a savoury, earthy depth.
Aromatic grapes such as Muscat and Gewürztraminer can be thrilling with skin contact, becoming less simply floral and more exotic, spicy and tea-like. Chardonnay can make broader, structured examples, while Sauvignon Blanc may retain its herbal lift beneath the extra texture.
The grape provides the starting point, but place and winemaking decide the personality. A few days of maceration in a cool steel tank will not taste like six months in clay. It is worth treating orange wine as a broad family of styles rather than expecting every bottle to taste alike.
Where did orange wine begin?
The technique is ancient. Georgia has been fermenting white grapes on their skins in qvevri for thousands of years, producing wines that are often amber in colour and distinctly gastronomic in style. Skin-contact whites have also long traditions in parts of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and elsewhere around the Mediterranean and Caucasus.
The recent revival has brought fresh attention from winemakers in England, France, Spain, Australia, South Africa and beyond. Some producers are closely following traditional methods; others are using a short maceration to create a lighter, fresher interpretation. That variety is part of the appeal, but it also means a little guidance can make a first bottle far more rewarding.
What does orange wine taste like?
Expect less straightforward fruit than in a standard white wine. Orange wines often smell and taste of orange peel, apricot, bruised apple, peach, honey, ginger, chamomile, black tea, dried flowers, nuts and Mediterranean herbs. Earthy or savoury notes are common too.
The mouthfeel is often the biggest surprise. Orange wine can be dry, fresh and structured at once, with a mild tannic grip that builds through the finish. Some are delicate enough for an aperitif, while others have the depth and breadth to pour almost like a light red.
Sweetness is not implied by the colour. Most orange wines are dry, though a few may have a little residual sugar or a ripe, honeyed character. If you prefer crisp, bright whites, start with a pale example made with short skin contact. If you enjoy red wine tannin, sherry-like savouriness or more adventurous flavours, try a deeper, longer-macerated bottle.
Serving and pairing orange wine
Serve most orange wines cool rather than icy, around 10-13°C. Straight from a very cold fridge, their aromas and texture can seem muted. Give the bottle ten minutes out of the fridge, or use a wine cooler rather than an ice bucket for the whole evening.
A larger white wine glass is ideal, especially for more complex examples. A little air can help, and a particularly structured bottle may even benefit from a short decant. If a wine smells closed or slightly reduced on opening, a swirl and a few minutes in the glass often make a real difference.
Orange wine shines with food because it bridges the gap between white and red. Its acidity cuts through richness, while its tannin handles spice and savoury flavours. Try it with roast squash, mushroom dishes, grilled chicken, pork, tagines, miso, Korean or Japanese food, hard cheeses and vegetable-led plates with herbs or charred edges. Strongly chilli-hot food can make tannin feel more pronounced, so a fresher, fruitier style is usually the safer choice there.
Choosing your first bottle
If you are buying your first orange wine, do not feel obliged to begin with the most intense, cloudy or uncompromising example. Ask for a bottle with a short maceration, lively acidity and clear fruit if you usually drink Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño or dry Riesling. If your usual choice is Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo or Rioja, a more structured skin-contact wine could be a natural next step.
At Givino, the useful question is not simply whether you like orange wine. It is whether you want something bright and easy-going, floral and aromatic, or deeper and more savoury. That gives a good independent merchant far more to work with than a vague promise to be adventurous.
The pleasure of orange wine lies in that range. It begins with familiar white grapes, then asks you to experience them in a different light - one that is textured, expressive and especially good when there is something delicious on the table.
