Orange Wine ?
Updated: Oct 25, 2021
Happy Orangeween people!
Why, How & WTF.
Let's get into it...
Sadly, no. Its not a wine made from oranges but if someone fancies making one then i'll delete this article and move to Columbia. (I needed an excuse anyway)
Orange wine is made from using white grapes and keeping the skins and seeds in contact with the juice - this can be for as little as four days to a year! This process creates theses notorious orange hued wines.
Another fab thing about orange wines is winemakers use little to no additives so bottoms up people!
Orange wines have a fairly bold flavour. They're often fermented in ceramic/cement vessels which has been confirmed to be the worlds oldest method of fermenting and ageing wine! These types of vessels are great for lowering acidity, allowing oxygen exchange and providing excellent insulation.
They can be referred to in a variety of different names, such as - Qvevri in Georgia, Amphora in Italy, and Tinaja in Spain (these are just a few examples).
"Clay is the most neutral material, thus allowing the grape to fully express its identity,” says Mateja Gravner, winemaker at Friuli-based Gravner Wines.
Because of their boldness, they pair beautifully with equally bold food! Try an orange wine with Korean, Japanese, Moroccan and Ethiopian cuisine to elevate the flavours of both the food and wine and get a real party in your mouth going.
Orange wines tend to have a higher than usual phenolic content and a rather nutty tartness about them - this means they also pair well with a vast variety of meats and fish.
To the right, Wine Folly have been very helpful and created this handy little tasting profile of a standard orange wine and what you can expect to find in a bottle.
So, get your tush down to your local wine merchants and enjoy something knew for Halloween! Or if you're already familiar, why not explore some different styles!
Recommendation - Gotsa Wines R katsiteli Mtsvane "Ages in Qvevri for about 6 months, which produces a wonderfully aromatic wine with fairly soft tannins."
Stay Tipsy x
Lu