ohOn an early summer evening, customers gather at the bar. orange Wines in a variety of hues, from light gold to deep amber, are available by the glass: Sicilian Cataratto with its ripe yellow fruit aromas and salty flavors, juicy and sparkling Slovakian Pinot Gris, or a minerally blend of indigenous grapes from Italy’s Lazio region are all hot sellers.
Oranj doesn’t just sell orange wine; it started as a natural wine e-commerce site during the pandemic before expanding into a wine bar in a former logistics warehouse in Shoreditch, London. Founder Jasper Delamotte says the store stocks “exciting, unusual and unconventional” wines, 25% of which are orange wines — a significant percentage considering orange wine was a niche category only a few years ago. Delamotte says orange wine sells well year-round, but hits the mark in the summer, alongside rosé.
And it’s not just orange wine: Ocado says orange wine may really go mainstream this summer. The online supermarket reports that sales are up 99% compared to the same time last year, with month-on-month increases of 437% in London, 120% and 115% in Manchester and Kent. Just a few years ago, orange wine could only be found in independent wine shops, but now M&S, Waitrose and Majestic are all stocking it, albeit in small numbers. And in March, Aldi launched a “Roso Orange” wine, a hybrid of rosé and orange wine, which went viral on TikTok, selling 5,000 bottles in the first week alone and tripling sales the following week.
So what exactly is orange wine? Well, it’s orange wine, but it’s not actually made from oranges (though you’d be forgiven for guessing it is, given the citrus theme that appears as part of the bottle’s label). Wine educator and former head of wine at Ottolenghi, Heidi Nam Knudsen, describes orange wine as “a white wine made like a red wine.” The grapes typically used to make white wine are aged with their skins on (known as maceration), and sometimes with the stems, too, a process usually reserved for red wines. For this reason, orange wine is often referred to as “skin contact,” a sexy moniker that’s fitting for a wine that’s steadily captivating the public.
Orange wine may be ubiquitous now, but it’s actually not new; it has a history stretching back almost 3,000 years to Georgia, the birthplace of winemaking. Helena Nicklin, drinks ambassador for Ocado, says: “For centuries, this was the only way to make any kind of wine – literally squashing crushed white or red grapes into an amphora. [terracotta pot]”Orange wine was originally a very funky wine because of the way it was brewed,” Nicklin says. “It had a farm-like smell and was a bit volatile, and depending on how it was brewed, it could taste vinegary or rancid.”
Tasting notes like “smelly” and “farmland” might not be to your taste, but as Nam Knudsen points out, orange wine is a “broad category.” For first-time orange drinkers, she might recommend something like a Spanish Moscatel, which is “very floral, peachy, laid-back.” For those who prefer a more substantial wine to go with food, she recommends Rkatsiteli, a Georgian wine that has a long contact time with the skins. “These wines always taste like honey, but they also have dry, smoky notes,” she says.
But orange wine’s wild character and its higher cost, on average, than white or red, likely due to small production volumes, have prevented it from going mainstream. It’s also not what older drinkers or more conventional wine drinkers think of. A few years ago, when I poured myself a glass of a slightly cloudy skin-contact wine I’d proudly brought home to share with my parents, my dad said, “It’s like a sample.”
So why is orange wine so popular now? Nicklin cites three reasons for the country’s newfound enthusiasm. First, in the 2010s, the natural wine movement captured the hearts of young drinkers. Wines described as “cider-like” in tasting notes and illustrated bottle labels (usually) became popular. Then the pandemic changed people’s drinking habits. People were forced to drink at home, and it may be easier to take the risk of trying an unfamiliar bottle for £15 at home than for £40 in a restaurant. Frederic Grappe, who runs biodynamic wine supplier Dynamic Vines and was the first to import orange wine to the UK, agrees. “Orange wine became a popular novelty during lockdown. Four years on, sales have grown exponentially.”
The final reason in Nicklin’s trifecta is social media, particularly TikTok, which has “exploded” in popularity. Orange wine is flashy, beautiful and eye-catching. And drinkers are often enthusiastic — just look at the meteoric rise of the sparkling Aperol Spritz five years ago. Nam Knudsen agrees that orange wine has a visual appeal that rivals that of rosé. “Orange wine is really striking, and even if people aren’t into wine, they always take a photo when they see it.”
For Nam Knudsen and Grappe, orange wine is the perfect match for food. “It’s ideal because it combines the acidity of a white wine with the structure of a red wine,” says Grappe. Nam Knudsen also believes that “it reflects the way we eat today, with a wide variety of dishes on the table, and we share them together. Orange wine goes amazingly well with all of that.”
Dell’Amotte, a former commercial builder, recalls the first time he tried orange wine. “It completely changed the way I thought about wine, and I loved it.” Dell’Amotte started Oranj because he felt he wasn’t alone in his desire for orange wine. “I tasted it, I felt the difference, and I wanted to know more.” Clearly more people are feeling the same way about orange wine. As Grappe says, “Orange wine is definitely here to stay.”
5 Must-Try Orange Wines
Macerao Naranja Orange, Chile (Moscatel) £8.99, Waitrose, 13.5%
Good structure, flavor, and floral aromas, this is a great introduction to orange wines and a great value.
Winzer Krems ‘Orange’ Grüner Veltliner 2021/22, Austria, £11.99, Majestic, 13%
Golden in colour, this aromatic wine has a hint of spice and is powerful enough to stand up to spicy dishes.
Orange natural wine, Romania, £12, Ocado, 12.5%
Quince, orange blossom, gentle tannins and extremely versatile, can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with a meal.
Okra Rkatsiteli “Svali” 2021Georgia, 19 pounds, Temple to the Vine, 14%
Dry, nutty and honeyed, it’s the perfect food companion – a great example of an orange wine aged in amphorae.
Schetta Grecanico, Cantina Marlina 2022, Sicily, £19.20, 12.5%
The crisp tannins really show the maceration process. Ripe apricots and a lovely saltiness. Superb.
