We love this fascinating and venerable style of winemaking. Essentially white wines made as if they were reds – the grape skins are left in contact with the juice as it ferments, and sometimes as it matures as well, orange wine can be utterly thrilling and unique when well executed.
Here’s a selection of articles and tasting notes on some favourite orange wines. Check out Simon’s major Decanter feature for a general primer and some of the backstory.
Roberto Henriquez revives Chile’s pipeño tradition 
Simon discovers Chile’s ancient pipeño tradition – a South American orange wine style – and one of its modern-day champions, Roberto Henriquez
Freedom at scale – Heinrich Graue Freyheit 
Anyone who thinks that larger wineries can’t do quality, or show a serious commitment to sustainable, minimal-intervention production methods, should check out the wines from Gernot and Heike Heinrich in Burgenland, Austria. Simon takes a spin through their skin contact range.
Cosi Casè – a capricious Malvasia di Candia 
Every week, Simon selects an orange wine (a white wine made with extended skin contact) that grabbed his attention. View the whole series here.
When I first discovered the macerated monolith that is La Stoppa’s Ageno, I made the assumption that it was a bit of a one-off. Like so many assumptions, it turned out to be completely false.
La ...
A tale of two Georgias: Nine Oaks Estate 
Nine oaks is a newly created vineyard and winery in Kakheti Georgia. Despite not having any qvevris when they made their first vintage in 2016, the results are authentic and impressive.
Celebrating The Amber Revolution with a Gravner vertical 
Simon is lucky enough to taste an incredible vertical of Gravner’s wines, during a celebratory weekend as his book Amber Revolution launches in Europe
Vodopivec, a perfect expression of Vitovska 
“The first problem for wine producers is not oedium, it’s ego”, states Paolo Vodopivec disarmingly. He concludes “I don’t want my ego in my wines”. Simon discoves what this means, and why Vodopivec hates being associated with the orange wine scene.
Herrgott’s orange beauty – Sofrei Gelb 
Every week, Simon selects an orange wine (a white wine made with extended skin contact) that grabbed his attention. View the whole series here.
Christian Strohmeier isn’t directly related to the rather more well known Franz Strohmeier but just to add to the confusion, the two winemakers live not only in the same Austrian wine region (Western Styria) but actually ...
Ceci n’est pas un orange – La Biancara Pico 
Simon tries to understand what Angiolino Maule means when he says he doesn’t like orange wine.
Lip-smacking macerated frizzante from Croci 
Massimiliano Croci’s lip-smacking frizzante wines have a hidden tannic kick which really works well – a tasty tradition from Emilia-Romagna. Simon reviews their 2016 Campedello.
Earth, grapes and maceration – Claus Preisinger’s Edelgraben GV 
Claus Preisinger shows that Burgenland’s Grüner Veltliner can really deliver, if it’s macerated for five months in a Georgia qvevri.