A Starter Guide to Orange Wines

There’s a new colour appearing on the shelves at Baruccio, and it’s causing quite a stir. It isn’t quite white, it’s certainly not red, and despite the name, it has absolutely nothing to do with citrus fruit.

Welcome to the world of Orange Wines, the "ancient-new" style that has become the most talked about category in the modern wine world.

First of all, a little bit of history.

A 5,000 year old "trend" that began in Georgia, where wine was made in massive clay jars called Qvevri, which are buried underground. The modern "renaissance" started in the late 90s on the border of Italy and Slovenia, led by visionary winemakers like Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon. They realised that by slowing down and returning to these ancient methods, they could create wines with a depth of flavour that industrial methods simply couldn't match.

What is Orange Wine?

The technical term is "skin contact white wine." To understand it, we simply have to look at how wine is made:

• White wine: white grapes are pressed, the skins are thrown away, and only the clear juice is fermented.
• Red wine: red grapes are crushed and fermented with their skins. This is where the colour and tannins (that "dry" feeling) come from.
• Orange wine: we take white grapes but treat them like red grapes. We leave the juice to sit with the skins for days, weeks, or even months. By leaving the skins in the mix, the wine extracts deep amber pigments, complex oils, and a firm, "grippy" texture. It is a white wine with the soul, and the structure, of a red. 

Why the sudden fame?

Orange wine is trending because it breaks all the rules. For years, white wine was expected to be "clean, clear, and crisp." Orange wine is the opposite: it’s often cloudy, deeply savoury, and incredibly bold. It has become the darling of the natural wine movement because skin contact is an ancient form of preservation. The tannins from the skins act as natural antioxidants, allowing winemakers to use little to no added sulphites. It’s raw, authentic, and tastes like nothing else on the shelf. 

Are you intrigued? To learn more about the orange wines in our shop, click here.