Are Orange Wine and Skin-Contact Wine the Same Thing?

Photo credit: www.foodandwine.com

In the world of wine, terminology often overlaps: terms like “quaffable” and “crushable,” “bouquet” and “aroma,” as well as “tasting notes” and “flavor descriptors” are commonly used interchangeably. This is also true for “skin-contact wine” and “orange wine.” However, it’s essential to discern whether they are truly synonymous.

While every orange wine is produced using skin contact, not all skin-contact wines will fall under the orange category. Let’s explore this distinction.

What is skin-contact wine?

According to Sarah Favinger, previously affiliated with the Brooklyn wine shop Smith & Vine, skin-contact wines encompass various colors. What is generally recognized as “orange wine” typically stems from white grapes that undergo prolonged skin exposure. “This process lends a significant orange tint to the wine,” Favinger notes.

Favinger explains that this technique is akin to the method used for producing red wines, where red grapes macerate with their skins, creating a deep color. Conversely, red grapes subjected to limited skin contact often result in rosé wines.

Similarly, certain white wines may experience brief intervals of skin contact, yielding lighter-colored wines that do not quite reach the orange threshold.

“Short or partial skin contact in white wines can improve aromatics, flavors, and textural elements,” states Favinger.

In the realm of natural wine production, brief skin contact is frequently utilized. This technique can enhance the wine’s integrity, minimize the need for sulfur during bottling, and add complexity to the final product.

“In the case of orange or skin-contact wines, post-harvest, the grapes are pressed, crushed, or stomped, then left to macerate with the skins in the juice through the primary fermentation,” Favinger elaborates. Typically, a more extended maceration period results in wines enriched with deeper flavors and tannins.

What grapes make the best orange wine?

Almost any white grape variety can be transformed into orange wine. Commonly utilized varieties include Pinot Gris, Zibbibo (Muscat), Xarel-lo, and Macabeo, along with several Georgian types such as Rkatsiteli, Chinuri, Kisi, and Krakhuna.

Georgia is particularly renowned for its production of orange wine, where the tradition of using extended skin contact has persisted for centuries and is now experiencing a resurgence globally.

“As the natural and minimal-intervention wine movement gains momentum across the globe, winemakers also began venturing into the realm of skin-contact wines, especially in regions like Italy — notably Sicily and Friuli-Venezia — extending into southern Slovenia,” notes Favinger.

Why do skin-contact and orange wines taste like?

The flavor profiles of skin-contact wines range widely. Orange wines typically evoke flavors reminiscent of citrus, dried fruit, and various herbs, characterized by a notable mouthfeel.

“The resulting tannins in these wines—akin to the drying sensation found in red wines—contribute a unique texture,” explains Favinger. “The length of skin contact influences the presence and intensity of these tannins.”

The distinctive characteristics of skin-contact and orange wines offer a vast exploration of flavors.

“As winemakers continue to experiment with skin contact, the spectrum of wine colors expands, and the traditional delineations between white, orange, rosé, and red wines begin to blur, creating an exciting landscape,” Favinger adds.

5 skin-contact orange wines to try

Venica & Venica Jesera Pinot Grigio (Friuli, Italy)

This particular skin-contact Pinot Grigio is macerated for a duration of 4 to 8 hours and then aged sur-lie for six months in both used wood and stainless steel. The wine displays fruity and floral notes of peach, acacia, and citrus.

Head High Wines Skin Contact White Wine (Sonoma, California, U.S.)

A blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Muscat that undergoes seven days of maceration, this skin-contact wine is aged in a mix of neutral French oak and stainless steel. It offers a crisp, refreshing taste with notes of dried apple, tangerine, and orange peel.

Les Vins Pirouettes Orange Cubique François (Alsace, France)

Crafted from an organically farmed blend of regional varieties—Auxerrois, Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer—this orange wine is macerated for 12 days and aged for nine months in both large-format oak and stainless steel. It presents medium-bodied flavors of fresh orange, tropical fruits, and a hint of sweet spice.

Domaine Marcel Deiss ‘Le Jeu des Verts’ (Alsace, France)

This orange wine is produced from a biodynamically cultivated field blend of Alsatian varieties in Bergheim. Native yeasts facilitate vinification, and after three weeks of skin maceration in steel, it ages for 12 months in older oak barrels. Expect flavors of apricot, bitter orange, and a refreshing amaro-like quality. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without added sulfur dioxide.

Pheasant’s Tears Kisi (Kakheti, Georgia)

This orange wine is exclusively made from Kisi grapes cultivated in the village of Tibaani, grown in sandstone and quartz. After six months of skin maceration, it is aged for one year in new qvevri. Its aromatic profile features textured notes of pithy stone fruit, orange marmalade, honey, and black tea.

Source
www.foodandwine.com