Have you tried a delicious amber or orange coloured wine yet?
These wines are made from white grapes that have very deep colour thanks to extended skin contact fermentation. They naturally take on this deepened hue. It is, of course, not a new winemaking technique. This is an ancient winemaking process that is now becoming popular in newer wine making countries as well.
Current modern wine making techniques separate the white grape skins away from the juice quickly. This leaves a pale, fruity wine that is noticeably lighter in colour. This is very different to the winemaking for red wines where the juice, or must, remains in contact with the skins for much longer. This contact in red wines produces a lush deeper colour and additional complexity.
In white wines, this skin contact also gives the wine a distinctive glossy texture on the palate. You will find a growing number of options becoming available each year as the demand for organic and ‘natural wines’ soars.
It is also important to note that the term ‘orange wine’ can not only be used to describe the colour of the wines. Winelovers might see this term on a label of wines coming from a wine region called Orange. One of those regions is the Orange wine region around the township of Orange in New South Wales, Australia.
And when you see them, don’t hesitate to try these wines! They make particularly good food wines and are especially good if you are looking for something out of the ordinary.
You could certainly look towards land or sea for a good food match here. The intensity of these wines will work really well with more robust flavours of anchovies, and just well with some salami. Or, alternatively some Mediterranean inspired vegetables, chargrilled fresh is great. Or fennel gently roasted with fresh cheese crumbled over the top is great inspiration.
Ask our friendly staff in store for orange wine recommendations.
**photo source Lisa Johnston
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