Orange wine (white wine made with extended skin contact) isn’t new, but some people think it might be the next big thing. Is Orange the new White when it comes to wine?
White the New Red?
These are interesting times for the wine business, as recent OIV studies have shown. Not only is global wine consumption volume falling, but the composition of wine purchases is changing, too. White is the new red, for example, as global consumption of white wines has now exceeded red.
The rise of orange wine might be part of this market reversal because, as Ray Isle wrote in Food & Wine magazine, orange wines are sometimes seen as the white wine for red wine drinkers because of the tannins they pick up during their longer skin-contact period. But orange wine volumes are still small relative to the broader market, so it is too soon to make bold claims about the future.
That said, orange wines may appeal to younger consumers who are also attracted to natural wines. Wine producers today pay close attention to any trend that might draw younger consumers into the market. It is no surprise, therefore, that most wineries Sue and I have visited in the last few years have had at least one tank of orange wine over in the corner to explore the possibilities.
From Georgia to California
Sue and I started thinking about orange wines when we visited Georgia, the cradle of wine, a few years ago and tasted white wines made in the traditional qveri process. The best of the wines were alive in the glass in a way that we seldom experience and, although skin contact wasn’t the whole story, it was part of the experience. Wines from Gotsa Family Wines, Pheastant’s Tears, Iago’s Wine Cellar, and the Alaverdi Monastery especially stood out.
Last year we enjoyed what someone called an “entry-level” orange wine from Bonny Doon called “Le Cigare Orange.” A skin-contact blend featuring Grenache Blanc, it was indeed a good introduction to orange wines made in a modern style.
The Vice Orange
It was easy to say yes, therefore, when we were offered orange wine samples from a Napa Valley winery called The Vice. The Vice focuses on small-batch single-varietal wines. Significantly, orange seems to be the new white at The Vice in the sense that a majority of their “white wines” (including our samples) get extended skin contact treatment.
We started with “Pickleball,” an Orange of Viognier made with grapes from Napa’s Oak Knoll District and aged for a year in neutral French oak. Tiny production: just 420 cases today. I was especially curious about this wine because normal Viognier is sometimes recommended as the white wine for red wine drinkers. How would the extra skin contact (plus oak aging) change the equation?
The answer was revealing. The wine was more restrained than I expected. It was clear that the winemaker aimed to make a stylish Viognier (that just happens to be orange) rather than an in-your-face Orange wine (that just happens to be Viognier). Do you know what I mean? Given the choice, I think I’d opt for this restrained approach every time.
Next Big Thing?
Next up was “Brooklynites 5.0,” an orange wine made with Gewurtztraminer from Los Carneros. It had been aged eight months in a combination of stainless steel tanks and concrete eggs. It was pretty, especially with the classy white and gold label. The aromas jumped from the glass followed by a spell by Gewurtz’s character and flavor. Dry, savory, great with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. Restrained, like the Viognier, but with more going on in the glass.
The Vice has embraced orange wine, suggesting that “Orange is the New Napa,” which ought to get your attention. Their latest release includes five count ’em five orange wines according to the recent press release:
- Orange of Gewurztraminer “Brooklynites 5.0”, Los Carneros, 2022 / 13.7% Alc. SRP: $35.00.
- Orange of Viognier, “Pickleball”, Oak Knoll District, 2022 / 13.7% Alc. SRP: $38.00.
- Orange of Sauvignon Blanc, “Sierra”, 2023, Los Carneros, 2023 / 13.4% Alc. SRP: $36.00
- Orange of Albarino, “Sevilla”, California, 2023 / SRP: $38.00
- Orange of Chardonnay, “Las Amigas”, Los Carneros, 2023 / 12.8% Alc. SRP: $65.00
Is Orange the new White? No, it’s a thing of its own, based on our sampling so far, and not a gimmick, either. Red, White, Pink, Orange, let a thousand colors, hues, and shades come out of the tanks in the corner and onto the dinner table.
Wine could use a burst of adrenaline just now. Orange wine can’t do the job on its own, but it is a shot in the arm for anyone looking for something new to like in wine.
>><<<
Roger C. Bohmrich, Master of Wine, is the author of an excellent analysis of the Orange wine market, ” Orange Wines: Bridge to the Past and Trending Wine,” which appeared in Wine Business Monthly (January 2024, pp. 60-65). WBM subscribers can access the article on-line by following the link.