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What is orange wine and what you need to know about this trendy drink?

For the last 10-15 years, orange wine has been one of the trends among lovers of noble drinks. Let’s figure out what this fashionable novelty is, how to drink it, what to combine with, and most importantly, how to choose the right orange wine.

Orange wine is made from white grape varieties, using a similar technology for the production of red wines. This wine is infused on pulp (the mass of grapes squeezed out under pressure: skin, pulp, juice and seeds) and crests.

The longer the contact of the grape juice with the peel takes place, the more intense the color and aroma of the wine become. Fermentation of orange wines takes from four days to several months. All production processes occur naturally; winemakers never add additional cultured yeast, sulfur dioxide and other elements to these wines.

What is the main difference between white and orange wines, you ask? – It is in the infusion of the must on the skins of the grapes. So, in the production of white wines, the peel from the pulp on the berries is separated even before the fermentation process. That is why white wines are so light and crystal clear.

Georgia is considered the birthplace of orange wines. Then this technology began to be applied in Italy. The term orange wine itself was coined in 2004 by British wine merchant David Harvey. Experienced sommeliers immediately adopted it into their vocabulary and since then professionals have singled out orange wines in a separate category, along with white, rosé and red wines.

It is noteworthy that the term orange wine is misleading for some consumers, what kind of wine is this – orange or just orange? Moreover, even in Georgia, where they began to produce this wine, they do not like to use such a name; instead, winemakers use alternative ones, for example, “amber” wines.

Another interesting fact – in Georgia, orange wines can also be called “kvevri”, after the clay amphoras in which they are aged.

Orange wine has an intense amber color, pronounced tannins, refreshing taste, which is dominated by light honey and nutty tones, tropical fruits, and sometimes juniper notes with pronounced acidity.

In the production process, winemakers do not carry out many interventions. Even orange wines are often poured without filtration, due to which a sediment can be seen in the bottle with such a drink, and the wine itself can be cloudy.

A slightly specific drink is not recommended to be offered to any consumer. This drink is designed for those who find the classics of white and red wines boring.

Many European winemakers often experiment with local and international white varieties when producing orange wine, some make the drink only from Pinot gris grapes. But in Georgia they prefer not to experiment and use the most widespread variety Rkatsiteli.

Today the main producers of orange wines are Georgia, Italy and Slovenia. Almost every winery here produces this drink.

Orange wines blend harmoniously with almost any dish. They are ideal with seafood, fish, meat, grilled vegetables and a variety of aged cheeses. The most successful tandem of orange wines with Caucasian, Mediterranean, Asian, African and Oriental cuisines.

Orange wines are usually served chilled to 8-12 degrees. There are no special glasses for this category, so using glasses for white or red wines will not be considered a mistake. At the same time, experienced sommeliers believe that drinking “amber” wines is best done from large, wide glasses for Burgundy wine – it is in them that a rich palette of aromas is revealed.

You can find quality orange wine both in restaurants and in wine boutiques. In this case, it is advisable to use the sommelier’s recommendation. Whether you like this drink or not is another question, but it’s definitely worth trying it at least once in your life.