The Process Of Making Orange Wine (Is It Sustainable?)

Contrary to popular belief, orange wine is not orange and is not made from the orange fruit. Orange wine is essentially a winemaking method that involves white wine and an unconventional style in which it is made. To understand the process of making orange wine, it is vital first to understand the traditional winemaking methods.

When producing white wines and red wines, the process is very similar, but the difference really lies in how the grapes are fermented. With both red and white wines, the grapes are harvested, brought to the winery, and crushed to release the juice. However, while white wines are separated from their skins before they are fermented, to make red wines, the skins are left with the juice during fermentation.

This is an important element since the red color is extracted from the skins of the grapes. The inside of a red grape is clear - so the only way to extract color (and tannin) is to leave the skins with the juice. With white wine, the skins are separated from the juice since the skin isn't a necessary element in terms of color. And since you don't want tannin in your white wine, most winemakers keep the skins away from the juice.

The process of making orange wine is where these two winemaking methods overlap. Essentially, orange wine allows white wines to ferment with their skins, as red wines would. Another term for orange wine is skin-contact white wine, which perfectly describes how it is made. In most cases, winemakers don't add additives, allowing the wine to develop and ferment naturally. Rarely is there even commercial yeast added for fermentation, genuinely allowing the wine to express its pure self.

Compared to traditional white wines, these orange wines have an intense, dark, golden hue (hence the name) and have a range of different aromas and flavors. You will find notes of honey, jackfruit, hazelnut, bruised apple, sourdough, and orange rind. These wines are also very dry and high in tannin (which is not common with white wine at all.) The wines are extremely big, bold, and expressive, and not an easy-drinking, sipping wine. 

In terms of food and wine pairings, orange wine pairs best with bold food that doesn't shy away from the wine's boldness. Food with complex spices, especially those from Thailand, Japan, and Korea, pair exceptionally well with these wines. These are excellent options for those looking to pair white wine with red meat. Since most white wines are too elegant for the high protein in red meat, the pairings don't work well. However, the tannin and boldness of an orange wine would do exceptionally well with the meat.

Is Orange Wine Sustainable? 

Due to its unconventionality, orange wine is quickly gaining popularity with wine lovers around the world, especially in Alsace, France. Here, orange wine has exploded onto the scene, allowing winemakers to experiment with several different styles. Many don't realize that orange wine is a much more sustainable way of making wine than conventional methods since there is so little intervention and waste during the winemaking process. So for consumers looking for more eco-friendly, conscious, and sustainable wines, orange wines are a great starting point. 

Since there are no additives added to the wine, these wines are left to portray their most pure self. In addition, these wines use every bit of the grape, including the skins and seeds, which would otherwise be tossed away immediately. As a result, more is extracted from each individual grape, significantly reducing the waste of the end product.

While orange wine may not be the easiest drinking wine, nor the top of sustainability, it is still a massive step in the right direction. For anyone looking to begin seeking sustainable or natural wines, orange wine is a great one to try. By allowing the wines to ferment as they naturally would, with skin and all, you are experiencing the wine in all its glory, with little detriment to the environment. 

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Key Takeaways

• Orange wine is essentially a winemaking process that combines traditional red wine and white wine methods. While the skins are generally only left to ferment the juice when making red wines, orange wines have incorporated this process.
• The addition of skins in the fermentation process gives the white wine a dark hue, intense flavor, and tannin that you would rarely find with traditional white wines.
• Orange wines are a sustainable winemaking practice with no additives added to the wine, little human intervention, and much less waste than traditional white wines.