What's the Orange Wine Hype?

National Orange Wine Day is this weekend!  Annually, on October 6th , this day has been dedicated to these super interesting wines that have drawn the attention of wine consumers and media in recent years.  This may be a completely foreign subject to some so let’s take out the mystery today of what an orange wine really is. 

What are orange wines? 

No, it is not a wine made from oranges themselves.  Orange wines are actually made from white grapes.  These are white grapes that are vinified as red wines.  Just like red grapes are left in contact with the skins during fermentation to abstract color, tannins, and phenols, orange wines are produced in the same manner.   

Orange wines are white grapes that are left in contact with the skins for a period of time.  Some producers may be as number of days where other producers may let the fermentation with the skins go on for months.  This in turn all affects the outcome of what the wine will taste like in a number of ways. 

Where does the name orange wine come from? 

Orange wines, although not completely orange in color, get their color from the length of time that the skins come in contact with the grapes.  There is a wide array of colors that you will see in orange wines from a pale orangish color to deeper amber.  These amber colored wines in Italy are called ramato, translating to copper, as some of them will have a coppery hue.   

How did orange wines first begin? 

Even though orange wines seem to be more of the hot topic in recent years, they are actually ancient wines that have been around for thousands of years originating in the country of Georgia.  The Georgians used to ferment these white grapes with the skin contact in what some of the Italians still use today, amphorae, or known as qvevri in Georgia.   

In Italy orange wines really began with the famous wine producer, Josko Gravner, in the late 90’s.  Gravner producers some of Italy’s most interesting and high-quality orange wines in the Friuli Venezia Giulia wine region of northeastern Italy.  He may have started the trend within Italy, but other producers have begun their own production and experimentation with orange wines as well.   

What grapes are used to make an orange wine? 

There are a number of white grape varieties that are used to make orange wines.  In Gravner’s region of Friuli Venezia Giulia the most common would be Ribolla Gialla and Pinot Grigio. Around the world you will also see Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Chardonnay and Rkatsiteli being used.  One of my favorite producers of the Upstate New York Finger Lakes wine region, Dr. Konstantin Frank, makes an orange style wine with their “Amber Rkatsiteli”.  

An array of Collio Pinot Grigio ending with the Primosic "Skin" orange wine on the right.

What do orange wines taste like? 

With orange wines it seems it’s a love them or hate them deal.  Personally, I tried orange wines many years ago and would agree with the “funk” of these wines that personally turned me off.  It wasn’t until I decided to try and give them a second chance on my visit to the Collio wine region last summer when I changed my mind.  The producer for me that changed my mind was Primosic, as you’ll see in my prior blog post.   

These wines may or may not be oxidized, but if so that changes the style of the wine from being a fresh and fruity style to more dried fruit, honeyed or nutty characteristics.  These wines tend to be bold and more complex on the aromas and flavor profile along with texture.  They may be herbal, yeasty or have a slight sour taste. It all depends on the grapes used and how the wine was made.  They are quite ageable too. 

Where can you find orange wines? 

You may find orange wines produced in many wine regions of the world, but your most popular wine regions that specialize in these wines would be the originator, the country of Georgia, along with Friuli Venezia Giulia mentioned previous in northeastern Italy.  Also, Slovenia, which sits side by side bordering Friuli Venezia Giulia also makes many orange wines to try as well.

Have you tried orange wines? What are your favorites?

Check on some orange wines on Wine.com.  Vino Travels may receive compensation for any purchases made to support the operations of Vino Travels.

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Vino Travels Top 5 Italian Wine Blogs of 2018

Another year comes to a wrap.  It has been a great year of wine from around the world with of course our love for Italian wines.  Time to say goodbye to 2018 and welcome 2019 with open arms, open minds and an open glass.  As I continue to take you on our journey around Italy I also plan to show some highlights from other wine regions outside of Italy to broaden our horizons.  I'd appreciate if you could take this quick survey so that I can hear from my readers and find out what you'd like to read more about in 2019.

Here are the top 5 Italian wine blogs of 2018.  I hope they were your favorites too!   

#1 50 Harvests with the Sieni Family of the Montefioralle Winery
#2 Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina Il Passo in the Basilicata 
#3 Verdicchio of the Marche with Tenuta di Tavignano
#4 Vermentino of Toscana with Aia Vecchia
#5 Lake Garda Says Hooray for Rose' with Chiaretto

As you've noticed I've also incorporated some non-Italian wines into the blog this year as I've done in previous years.  I think it's important to understand wines from around the world.  Although, sometimes when I feature non-Italian wines there may be an affiliation with Italy whether they are Italian grapes being grown outside Italy or the producers have an affiliation with Italy.  I hope you've been enjoying them.

#1 Italian Grapes in the Lodi with Harney Lane's Primitivo
#2 A Taste of Orange Wine in Vermont with Iapetus

Thank you all for your support and sharing your passion for Italian wine.  Happy New Year and Buon Anno!  As always I love to hear from my readers so please leave comments or send me an email at any time!  Share with your friends too!


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A Taste of Orange Wine in Vermont with Iapetus

I’ve been fortunate lately to participate in a new wine group and drink outside the box than my typical Italian wines.  Last month I attended a couple virtual tastings via the #winestudio program.  We chatted with Ethan Joseph, the winegrower of Iapetus that shared their wine called Tectonic, a Vermont made wine. 

Living in the northeast I have visited a couple wineries in each state including Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine and if you’re a follower of my blog you know that I typically make an annual trip up to the Finger Lakes.  I have yet to visit any vineyards in Vermont so when I was presented with the opportunity to try the one from Iapetus I was intrigued.  I will admit that when I received the wine in the mail I questioned what it was going to taste like as it was unfiltered and was not your average looking wines.

Vermont’s wine scene began with Snow Farm in 1997 and many other wineries have sprouted since then totaling 13 producers state-wide with Shelburne Vineyard being the largest grape producer.  Ethan described the wine scene in Vermont as a “small and supportive community”.  Grape growing in the area originally started with New York hybrids and german grapes, but as the 2000’s approached the wineries transitioned over to cold-hardy Minnesota hybrids.  

Ethan shared his days of growing up a Jersey boy and his attraction to Vermont stemmed from his studies at the University of Vermont where he was drawn to Lake Champlain.  He began his wine career working part time at Shelburne Vineyard and sippin on good old Carlo Rossi. 

Iapetus is the name of an ancient ocean that once covered the Champlain Valley.  Ethan chose the  name Iapetus to connect the wine of the past and present and relate it to why he remained in the area and to what drew him there.   “We aim to craft our product and farm in a way that acknowledges the broad history written into the earth from which we work”, claims Ethan.  They began their production in 2016 with about 500 cases and continues to grow and expand today.  The biggest challenges they face are the New England cold temps and short growing season.  

 

All the Iapetus wines are spontaneously fermented, unfiltered and unfined.  Their spontaneous fermentation means that 7-10 days before harvest they gather the cleanest fruit from the block in  addition to an assortment of flora from within and around the vineyard. 

The 2016 Iapetus Tectonic wine is made of 100% la crescent grape where it spends 50 days macerating with the skins.  Fermentation and maceration take place in stainless steel and then aged 8 months in barrel.  Tectonic had notes of citrus and loads of oranges and tangerines with some rosewater.  Some folks in the tasting compared it to qualities of a cider with spice, which I sensed myself.  I was rather impressed and surprised and it’s one that you must experience.  ABV 14% 

Recommended pairings from our chat included pistachios, charcuteries, roasted beets, Mediterranean foods and oysters. 

Have you tried other wines from Vermont or the north east that you recommend?

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There are Red and White, but Orange Wines Too?

We have officially circled all 20 regions of Italy and are back for our 2nd tour around with a little twist.  Our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group this month discovers the orange wines of Italy as well as some food and/or travel to some orange wine regions like Sicily and Friuli.  A big thank you to Jeff of Food Wine Click for organizing this month while I await the arrival of my little one within the next few days. 

We all have our favorites whether we enjoy red, white or pink wine, but what about orange wine? Does it exist? Absolutely, and it doesn't mean a wine has gone bad. You'll find orange wines, or skin-fermented wines, in some of our favorite wine regions of Italy.

So exactly what is an orange wine?

Just as rose' wines are made from the juice being in contact with the skins for a short maceration time, the same goes with orange wines. They are basically white wines where the juice is left in contact with the skins and seeds for a certain period of time. It's a very natural process. Usually these wines have a distinct taste from the oxidation that they go through. The intensity of the result depends on how long the winemaker chooses to leave the juice in contact with the skins and seeds which affects the extraction of color, bitterness, tannins, etc.

During fermentation @ Radikon

What do orange wines taste like?

These wines will typically have a rustic nature with nuttiness, honeyed notes, some sourness and are dry, full bodied wines. Some people love them or hate them. As with all wine it's just a matter of personal preference and that's ok, but it's all about putting yourself out there and trying new things.

Where are orange wines produced?

The first winemaker to undertake this orange winemaking experiment was Josko Gravner back in 1997. In Italy orange wines are most commonly found in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region primarily made from the ribolla giallo grape.  A couple popular producers in Friuli are Gravner and Radikon.  In Sicily you'll find Azienda Agricola Cos making orange wines with the grecanico grape. You will also find some versions of orange wines in the Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Umbria and others. They're are also produced in other countries outside of Italy like Slovenia and Georgia.

Let me know if you've had the opportunity to try orange wines. I'm curious what your thoughts were and if you liked them.

Preview of What's to Come Join us this Saturday, July 2 at 11am EST on Twitter at ‪#‎ItalianFWT‬ to chat about skin-fermented white wines from Italy. Here is a preview of what's to come from our Italian blogging group: 

David at Cooking Chat shares “Bressan Pinot Grigio: Tasting an Orange Wine”

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog shares “Caspri Luna Blu and Grilled Moroccan Chicken”

Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Piattino di Polpo e Patate with Skerk’s Malvasia”

Mike at Undiscovered Italy shares “Gray Matters”

Jill at L’Occasion shares “What Your Madre Never Told You About Orange Wine“

Christy at Confessions of a Culinary Diva shares “The Aperitivo Hour with Orange Wine & Walnut Pesto”

Michelle at Rockin Red Blog shares “What Color is Your Wine? Mine May Be Orange“

Li at The Wining Hour shares “The Road to Orange Wine in Umbria”

Jeff at FoodWineClick shares “Orange Duck, Orange Wine"

 

Next month on Saturday August 5th, hosted by The Wining Hour, we'll discover the rose' wines of Italy as well as food and travel to Tuscany or Puglia.  If you'd like to be part of our group please reach out to me, vinotravels at hotmail.com!

All pictures compliments of Radikon, a popular producer of orange wines.

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