Podcasts Arts Wine for Normal People Ep 289: Orange (Skin Contact) Wines

Ep 289: Orange (Skin Contact) Wines

Published: Aug. 13, 2019, 3:58 a.m.

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We tackle a wine style that is adored in certain hip, wine "in-crowd" circles: "orange" wine, which is actually white wine made like a red -- there is long contact with the skins and seeds that give the wine a darker, orange-ish color, and VERY different flavors.

M.C. Ice and I are not big fans, but we do our best to explain the phenomenon of these whites made with skin contact.


Source: "_IGP1201" by photo by SergioVerzier is marked with CC PDM 1.0

Here are the show notes: \\xa0

  • You know it\'s time to cover a topic when, in Europe, the supermarket chain Aldi sells a bottle of skin-contact wine for less than $8 US!\\xa0

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WHAT THE HECK IS ORANGE WINE??

  • First and most importantly, it\'s not from oranges but from grapes!
    • Made exactly like a red but with longer maceration (the time during winemakig when the grape skins and seeds stay in contact with the juice)\\xa0
    • Reds with skin contact are red wines, reds with little contact are ros\\xe9s; whites with skin contact are \\u201corange\\u201d, without contact they are whites
      • Ros\\xe9s usually undergo less than 12 hours macerating on their skins before the juice is pressed off\\xa0
      • Orange wine is the opposite of Ros\\xe9
    • Can make skin-contact wine from any grape \\u2013 length of time with the skins will matter to flavor and the longer the time the more likely the wine is to mask terroir
    • Length of time varies, but maceration is LONG \\u2013 days, weeks, months
  • Not all are orange so it\\u2019s better to call them \\u201cskin-contact wines.\\u201d

"Skin-Contact Pinot Gris" by jamesfischer\\xa0licensed under CC BY 2.0

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MACERATING WHITE JUICE WITH SKINS?

  • The wine takes on a darker colored/orange-ish white color, as well as phenols, pigment.\\xa0
  • Aromas: Bolder and more intense same grapes vinified as traditional white \\u2013 like rose v red

  • Flavors: Nutty, oxidized flavor, very sour with a cider note.\\xa0Can be bold, nutty, like old apples, sourdough bread

  • Textures: Dry, tannic, intense (not very pleasurable sometimes)

"2015 Pinot gris" by jamesfischer is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Different styles:

  • Lightest ones, are acidic, aromatic wines, with fresh apricot, herbs
  • Medium ones \\u2013 slight oxidation, some acetone notes, old apple
  • Then full-bodied, boldly tannic, and often smoky, nutty, lots of VA, off notes

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Regions:\\xa0

  • The Republic of Georgia: Qvervi\\u2014underground vessels sealed with beeswax or oil soaked clothes. The practice of skin contact whites likely originated here 6,000 or more years ago (the practice still goes on today, although the Greeks and Romans quickly realized the best wines were those from free-run juice/whites not macerated, which is our "traditional" style today).\\xa0Rkatsiteli is the main grape
  • Listen to the Georgia Podcast!

Flag of Georgia: Wikipedia

  • Italy: Most prominent in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, often called\\xa0\\xa0ramato\\xa0\\u201ccopper-colored\\u201d wines from Pinot Grigio but Ribolla Gialla and Tocai Friulano are often used.\\xa0
    • Fruili producers who re-started the orange wine movement:\\xa0Radikon, Gravner
    • Sicilian producers:\\xa0Cos, I Vigneri\\xa0

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Flag of Slovenia: Wikipedia

  • United States
    • Long Island:\\xa0Channing Daughters, Shinn Estate
    • California: Some Sonoma

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  • Others:\\xa0Australia \\u2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Greece, South Africa, Croatia, France

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Food Pairing:\\xa0Skin Contact wine is versatile with food pairing but it depends on the weight and the treatment of the wine (length of maceration, barrel v. stainless steel, etc).\\xa0

  • Serving temps \\u2013 50 \\u2013 55\\u02daF/10\\u02daC- 12.75\\u02da C -- on the warmer side

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Don\'t forget to order your Wine For Normal People book today too!!

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