White grapes vinified like reds — wine's most ancient style, reborn
Orange Wine
Made by macerating white grapes on their skins for days, weeks, or even months, orange wines are one of the oldest and now one of the most exciting categories in the wine world.
The Grape
Orange wine — also called amber wine or skin-contact white — is white wine made with extended contact between the juice and the grape skins, much like red wine. The result is wine with deeper colour (ranging from straw to amber to copper), gentle tannin, and a remarkable textural and flavour complexity.
The technique is ancient — Georgia has been making skin-contact white wines in clay qvevri for 8,000 years. The modern revival began in Friuli in the 1990s, led by producers like Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon, and has spread globally. Orange wines work with virtually any white grape, but Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, and Malvasia are particularly common.
History & Origins
Skin-contact white winemaking is one of the oldest techniques in wine — Georgian qvevri winemaking dates back at least 8,000 years and is now UNESCO-protected. The practice was once near-universal across Europe, before modern technology made temperature-controlled stainless-steel fermentation the norm.
The modern orange wine revival began in Friuli in the 1990s. Josko Gravner spent years in Georgia learning qvevri winemaking, then returned to make Italian wines using ancient techniques. Stanko Radikon and other Friulian producers followed, and by the 2010s orange wine had become a global movement — championed by natural-wine bars from London to Tokyo.
Flavour Profile
Orange wine's character depends on grape, length of skin contact, and ageing — but most share textural weight, gentle tannin, and savoury complexity.
Light Skin-Contact
Stone fruit, herbal, tea, beeswax, gentle floral
Shorter macerations (days to weeks) produce wines that are recognisably white in character — but with added texture, gentle tannin, and complexity.
Classic Friulian Orange
Dried apricot, orange peel, dried herbs, tea, walnut, beeswax
Months of skin contact in the Friulian style produces deep amber wines of remarkable complexity — savoury, textured, and built for food.
Qvevri & Ancient Style
Dried fruit, tea, autumn leaf, leather, mineral, gentle oxidation
Georgian qvevri wines and ancestral-style orange wines push furthest — extended maceration, often a year or more on skins, producing wines of extraordinary depth and identity.
What to Pair It With
Orange wine is one of the most food-friendly categories in wine — its tannin, acidity, and complexity handle dishes that defeat both white and red.
Indian & Middle Eastern Cuisine
Spice, herbs, and complex flavours that defeat most wines find a brilliant partner in orange wine — particularly with cumin, cardamom, and tahini-rich dishes.
Aged Cheeses (especially washed-rind)
Orange wine's structure and savoury depth handle pungent cheeses like Époisses, Munster, or Taleggio better than almost any white.
Mushroom & Truffle Dishes
Earthy umami flavours echo orange wine's tertiary character — a quietly perfect pairing, particularly with risotto or pasta.
Charcuterie & Pâtés
The wine's gentle tannin and acidity stand up to cured meats and rich pâtés — a brilliant alternative to red wine for charcuterie boards.
Roast Chicken with Herbs & Lemon
Orange wine's textural weight and citrus-and-herb character make it a near-perfect match for roast chicken — better than most whites or reds.
Where the Best Comes From
Orange wine is now made globally, but a handful of regions have particular history or excellence.
Friuli & Collio, Italy
Explore Region →Long-macerated, complex, classical orange
The modern epicentre of orange wine. Producers like Gravner, Radikon, La Castellada, and Movia (across the Slovenian border) define the style.
Georgia (Kakheti)
Explore Region →Ancient, qvevri-aged, deeply traditional
The ancient homeland — 8,000 years of qvevri winemaking, with grapes like Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane producing extraordinary skin-contact whites in clay vessels.
Slovenia (Goriška Brda & Vipava)
Explore Region →Cross-border tradition, increasingly recognised
Across the border from Friuli, Slovenian producers like Movia, Batič, and Kabaj make some of the most exciting orange wines in the world.
Western Cape & Beyond
Explore Region →Emerging, experimental, increasingly serious
South African, Australian, and American producers are increasingly experimenting with skin-contact whites — particularly with Chenin Blanc and Semillon.
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