Orange wines

Orange wines are made from white grapes and are very different from “modern” white wines, starting with their deep and intense color

Just as we have reds, whites, sparkling wines, dessert wines and rosés, there’s another category: white wines fermented and aged on their skins. These belong to a distinctly different winemaking category from the better-known styles.

They’re often known by a different name: in Italian, vini bianchi macerati; in English, orange wines.

Skin-contact white wines are made using the RED WINEMAKING TECHNIQUE, which is normally used to make red wines. In this sense, skin-contact whites have more in common with red wines than with “modern” whites, precisely because of the winemaking technique used to produce them.

Maceration means fermenting the grapes with their skins and seeds, which stay in contact with the must during alcoholic fermentation and often afterwards, too, for anything from a few days to several weeks. During this time, the wine extracts several compounds from the grape skins and seeds.

These include:

• FLAVONOIDS: responsible for the colour of grape skins. In white grapes, flavonoids tend towards yellow and orange, while in red grapes they tend towards red and blue. Red grapes contain a specific group of flavonoids called anthocyanins, which give red wine its colour. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that help protect wine during ageing and maturation.
• TANNINS: phenolic compounds found in the skins and seeds of both white and red grapes. Their main role is to help preserve the wine, protecting it and contributing to its longevity.
• TERPENES AND OTHER AROMATIC COMPOUNDS: these shape the wine’s aromas. They can produce beautiful notes of rose, lime blossom, lemon, orange and many other scents. They’re also essential to the aromatic profile of varieties such as Zibibbo and Gewürztraminer. Examples of terpenes include linalool, nerol, geraniol, citronellol and menthol.

Orange wines typically have:

• INTENSE COLOUR, often ranging from golden yellow to amber and orange;
• A BOLD PALATE, with tannins adding structure and texture;
• RICH, COMPLEX AROMAS that linger on the palate, thanks to the many aromatic compounds extracted during maceration.

These characteristics make orange wines quite distinctive. They’re generally complex wines and, like many complex wines, they don’t always reveal themselves straight away. They pair well with hearty, flavourful dishes, from fish to white meat, as well as with medium- to long-aged cheeses.

Serving temperature is particularly important. Around 14°C is ideal: cool, but definitely not cold. This helps soften the perception of tannins and bring out the full complexity of the aromas.

I make three skin-contact white wines: Ammàno, Arèmi and Coste al Vento.

They’re expressive, complex wines with remarkable intensity and excellent ageing potential in the bottle.

Thanks to the stability and longevity that come from the fermentation and ageing methods used, these wines are neither fined nor filtered. They may therefore develop some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. This doesn’t detract from their quality; quite the opposite, it’s part of what makes them distinctive.

To enjoy them at their best, I recommend serving them cool but not too cold, and opening the bottle a little while before serving.