03 · Making Enthusiast

How orange wine is made: skin-contact whites explained

Orange wine is white wine made like red wine: the skins stay in contact with the juice during and after fermentation. The result is a wine with the colour of amber, the structure of a light red and a flavour profile unlike anything else in the cellar. It is also one of wine's oldest traditions, rooted in 8,000 years of Georgian qvevri production.

The five stages of orange wine production

01 — Harvest

White or grey grapes are harvested, usually at full phenolic ripeness. Many orange wine producers prioritise grape health and low yields; organic or biodynamic farming is common. The grapes may be whole-cluster pressed or destemmed — whole-cluster adds stem tannins and aromatic complexity.

Varieties most used: Pinot Grigio/Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Ribolla Gialla, Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Malvasia.

02 — Skin maceration

Unlike conventional white winemaking (where skins are discarded immediately after pressing), the crushed grapes are left in contact with their skins during and after fermentation. This can range from a few days to several months — or even a year or more in traditional Georgian qvevri production. The skins contribute tannins, colour compounds (deep amber/orange) and aromatic phenols not found in skin-free whites.

Duration of maceration is the single biggest stylistic variable: 2–3 days gives a light orange wine; 6+ months gives a deeply tannic, amber wine.

03 — Fermentation

Fermentation usually proceeds with wild (ambient) yeasts, often in clay vessels (amphorae, qvevri), old oak barrels or concrete. Temperature control is minimal in traditional styles. The skins cap on top of the fermenting juice and are punched down or submerged. The extended skin contact extracts colour, phenolics, tannins and compounds called furfurals — responsible for some orange wines' distinctive nutty, oxidative character.

Many producers use no added sulphur dioxide (SO₂) during fermentation; a small addition may be made at bottling.

04 — Pressing and ageing

After maceration, the wine is pressed off the skins. The free-run juice (extracted without pressing) is the finest quality. Pressed juice is rougher in tannin. Ageing is typically in neutral vessels — old oak barrels, clay, concrete or stainless steel — to avoid adding oak flavour. Some wines are aged in new oak, though this is less common in the natural-wine tradition.

Orange wines that have been aged on skins in sealed clay vessels (qvevri) for 6–12 months are sometimes called "amber wines" — the Georgian traditional category.

05 — Bottling

Orange wines are frequently bottled unfiltered and unfined — they are often cloudy or hazy in the glass. Minimal or no sulphur dioxide addition is common, meaning the wines are more fragile than conventional whites and require cool, dark storage. Some bottles may throw sediment. These are deliberate stylistic choices, not defects.

Without sulphur protection, orange wines can evolve quickly once opened. Treat them like a light red: serve slightly cool (12–14°C) rather than cold.

Georgian qvevri: the original orange wine

In Georgia, wine has been made in buried clay vessels — qvevri (also spelled kvevri) — for at least 8,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuous winemaking traditions in the world. The grapes are crushed and the juice, skins, seeds and sometimes stems are placed in the qvevri, which is then sealed with a beeswax lid and buried in the earth for 6–12 months. The earth maintains a constant cool temperature, moderating fermentation. After maceration, the wine is pressed and transferred to clean qvevri for further ageing. The resulting amber wine is tannic, complex and deeply savoury. UNESCO inscribed Georgian traditional qvevri winemaking on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. For how tannin in orange wine compares to red wine, see the glossary entry.

The modern revival: Gravner, Radikon and Friuli

In the 1990s, Josko Gravner of Oslavia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, made a pivotal decision: dissatisfied with the direction of modern winemaking, he visited Georgia, was inspired by the qvevri tradition, and began importing Georgian amphorae. His skin-contact Ribolla Gialla — aged for months in buried clay — became a touchstone for a generation of winemakers. Stanko Radikon, also in Oslavia, developed a parallel but distinct approach. Their influence spread first to Slovenia (Movia, Matevc Tercic), then to natural-wine producers across France, Spain, Italy, Australia, South Africa and beyond. The style is now made in virtually every wine country, using local varieties and adapted techniques. See the South Africa wine regions guide for how Cape producers have adopted skin-contact winemaking.

Sources: OIV (winemaking techniques reference), WSET (skin-contact whites, Level 4 D), Jancis Robinson MW — Oxford Companion to Wine (orange wine entry), Decanter (orange wine guides), UNESCO (Georgian qvevri tradition, Intangible Cultural Heritage). Last updated: 2026-11-04. Corrections via the contact form.

Questions

About orange wine.

What is orange wine?

Orange wine is a white wine made with extended skin contact — the defining technique of red winemaking applied to white grapes. The skins of white or grey grapes are left in contact with the fermenting juice for days, weeks, months or even a year. The skins contribute pigments (turning the wine amber or orange), tannins and phenolic compounds not found in conventional white wine. The result is a white wine with the colour, texture and structure of a light red. Orange wine is not a new invention — it originated in Georgia thousands of years ago and has been made continuously in Friuli (Italy) and Slovenia throughout the modern era. See the Red, white, rosé and sparkling methods guide for how skin contact determines wine colour across all styles.

What does orange wine taste like?

Orange wine tastes quite unlike conventional white wine. The extended skin contact extracts tannins (creating a grippy, drying sensation more typical of red wine), oxidative notes (dried apricot, bruised apple, walnut, beeswax, dried fruit), and savoury, phenolic complexity. The fruit character of the original grape variety is often subdued compared to a skin-free version: a Pinot Grigio orange wine tastes nothing like a conventional Pinot Grigio. Common descriptors: amber/bronze in colour; dried stone fruit, dried citrus peel, hazelnut, chamomile, honey, beeswax, earth; dry, grippy, long. Good orange wine has a savoury-umami quality that makes it unusually food-versatile. See the wine and seafood pairing guide for how orange wine works with food.

Where does orange wine come from originally?

Orange wine's oldest continuous tradition is Georgia (the Caucasus country), where wine has been made in buried clay vessels called qvevri for at least 8,000 years. Georgian amber wine — especially from the Kakheti region, using varieties like Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane — involves months of skin contact in sealed qvevri. The tradition is recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. In Europe, the most important modern revival was in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (northeastern Italy) and neighbouring Slovenia, where producers like Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon began making skin-contact whites in the 1990s, initially inspired by the Georgian method. From there, the style spread globally.

Is orange wine the same as natural wine?

Not exactly, though the two are closely associated. Orange wine is a winemaking technique — skin-contact white wine. Natural wine is a philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard and cellar: no (or minimal) added sulphites, wild-yeast fermentation, no fining or filtration, organic or biodynamic farming. Many orange wines are also natural wines, but not all natural wines are orange wines (there are natural red, white and rosé wines), and not all orange wines are natural (some use conventional winemaking with added sulphur). The cultural overlap is significant: the natural-wine movement embraced skin-contact whites as the most philosophically coherent expression of their approach.

What food pairs with orange wine?

Orange wine's combination of tannin (from skin contact), oxidative notes and savouriness makes it one of the most food-versatile wine styles. It bridges the red-white divide and works well where both would struggle. Excellent pairings: Middle Eastern and North African cuisine (hummus, lamb tagine, roasted vegetables with spices), fermented foods (kimchi, miso, aged cheeses), umami-rich dishes (mushroom-based, aged Parmigiano), oily fish (mackerel, sardines, anchovies), charcuterie and cured meats, complex grain dishes. The tannin handles protein and fat; the oxidative character matches fermented and aged flavours. See the wine and seafood pairing guide for specific seafood matches.