Orange wine is made by fermenting white grapes with their skins — the same way red wine is made. This "skin contact" or "maceration" method extracts colour, aroma compounds and tannins from the grape skins, producing a wine that stands apart from white, red and rosé. In some countries it is also called "amber wine."
White, Orange and Rosé: How They Differ
All three start from similar grapes, but the production method is what sets them apart.
| Type | Grapes | Skin contact | Colour | Tannins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White wine | White grapes | None (juice only) | Pale yellow to gold | None |
| Orange wine | White grapes | Days to months | Amber to deep orange | Light to medium |
| Rosé | Red grapes | Very short | Pale pink | None to trace |
Amber Wine: 8,000 Years of History in Georgia
The oldest evidence of winemaking is found in the Caucasus country of Georgia, dating back roughly 8,000 years. The traditional vessel is the qvevri — a large clay amphora buried in the earth, where whole clusters of white grapes ferment together with skins, seeds and sometimes stems. The resulting wine is deep amber in colour and was known as "amber wine" long before the modern term "orange wine" was coined. In 2013, UNESCO inscribed the Georgian qvevri winemaking tradition on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
In modern winemaking, producers from Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Slovenia and Georgia have revived this ancient technique, sparking a worldwide natural-wine movement. For the Friulian angle, see our article on natural wine.
The Supra: Georgia's Everyday Feast of Amber Wine
Orange wine is not an abstract concept to Georgians — it is the wine of the daily table. Whenever I think of amber wine, I am taken back to a meal I had in Tbilisi. I was invited to a supra — a convivial Georgian feast as commonplace there as an izakaya evening in Japan, yet utterly unlike anything I had experienced before.
At a supra, the table overflows with small dishes: fresh herbs, walnut sauces, grilled meats, bean stews, and the cheese-filled bread called khachapuri. Throughout the evening, a tamada (a designated toastmaster) leads the group in a series of toasts, each dedicated to a different theme — family, friendship, the homeland, the departed. The wine poured for all of this is amber wine drawn from a qvevri. Not a special-occasion wine: the everyday wine. Realising that this tradition had been unbroken for millennia stopped me in my tracks.
What Food Pairs with Orange Wine?
The tannins and textured body of orange wine open up pairings that are difficult for ordinary white wine, particularly with Japanese and fermented foods.
| Food category | Examples | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese cuisine | Miso soup, grilled fish, dashi-based dishes | Tannins lift umami; holds up to soy and miso |
| Ethnic and spiced food | Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern dishes | Spice-resistant; fruit and tannin balance heat and aromatic spice |
| Aged cheese | Comté, Manchego, Parmigiano | Tannins cut through richness; amplifies savouriness |
| Fermented foods | Kimchi, pickled vegetables, miso-marinated dishes | Skin-contact complexity harmonises with lactic and fermented notes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is orange wine closer to red or white?
A. The grapes are white, but the method is like red — skin contact. Light tannins and body sit between the two. Serve slightly chilled and enjoy it like a light red.
Q. Why does it look orange?
A. White grape skins contain phenolic pigments. Extended skin contact extracts these into the wine, giving it its amber to deep orange hue.
Q. Is it natural wine?
A. Not necessarily. "Orange wine" refers to the production method (skin contact), while "natural wine" refers to the philosophy (minimal intervention). They often overlap, but a wine can be orange without being natural, and vice versa.
Q. Does it taste sweet?
A. Most orange wine is dry. The amber colour and full aroma can make it seem rich, but it is not sweet like a dessert wine.
Q. What is a qvevri?
A. A large egg-shaped clay vessel used for fermenting and ageing wine in Georgia. Buried in the ground to maintain a stable temperature, it is the world's oldest winemaking vessel. The tradition was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.
For an overview of wine categories, see the differences between wine types.
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