What is Orange Wine?
Orange wine is white wine made like red wine — the juice ferments in contact with the grape skins, picking up colour, tannin and texture. The result is a wine that looks amber to deep tangerine, tastes savoury and complex, and offers something genuinely different from any other style.
How orange wine is made
White grapes are crushed and the juice is left in contact with the skins for days or weeks (sometimes months) before pressing. The skin contact extracts colour, tannin and aromatic compounds normally only found in reds.
What orange wine tastes like
Savoury, slightly tannic, often with notes of dried fruit, tea, honey, herbs and stone. The texture is fuller than a typical white, with the structure of a light red but the freshness of a white.
The history of orange wine
The technique is ancient — wines have been made this way for thousands of years in Georgia, where they ferment in clay qvevri buried underground. The modern revival started in northeast Italy and Slovenia in the 1990s.
Find wines for this guide at Prism Fine Wine
Every wine in our store is hand-selected by our team. We offer expert curation, US shipping and next-day delivery in many ZIP codes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is orange wine the same as rosé?
No. Rosé is red grapes pressed with brief skin contact; orange wine is white grapes with extended skin contact.
What food goes with orange wine?
Fermented foods, charcuterie, washed-rind cheeses, complex Asian dishes and earthy vegetable preparations all work brilliantly.
How should I serve orange wine?
Slightly cooler than room temperature — around 55–60°F (13–15°C) — in a red wine glass. Treat it more like a light red than a white.