foodwineclick

A look back at my first experience in 2013: rosé on the left, orange on the right

Wine Pairing Weekend Group Tackles Foods with Orange Wine
April showers bring May orange wines? Put simply, orange wines are white wines fermented in contact with their skins. Our Wine Pairing Weekend group is tackling orange wines this month, crafting some great ideas for food pairings with this genre of wines which many are discovering. I’m a fan, I had my first orange wine back in 2013 and wrote about it here. I’m starting this month with a primer, and you’ll find a whole list of links to our group at the bottom of this post.

Wine 201: Orange Wine – Just the Facts
Orange wines are at once ancient and modern. In ancient times, grapes were harvested, foot trod, and allowed to ferment. White wines as we know them today didn’t exist, those wines were fermented with their skins and had much deeper orange color. About 40 years ago, winegrowers in northeastern Italy and Slovenia rediscovered the approach from its roots in Georgia.  Most recently, the style gained new followers all over the world as wineries have begun to experiment with this ancient style.

Click on any photo in this post for a full-size slide show

Orange Wine is:

• made from white or grey skinned grapes (with “gris” in their name) macerated or fermented in contact with the skins. Orange wines are also known as skin-fermented white wines.
• made in a process identical to red winemaking with the exception of the color of grapes that go in at the beginning and the color of the wine at the end.
• an entire genre of wines. The skin contact can be as short as a few hours, similar to rosé for red wine grapes. Or the skins may remain in contact all the way through fermentation.  In a few cases, the grape skins and seeds stay in contact with the finished wine during aging, sometimes for months. There are a broad range of wines called “orange”.
• different from typical white or red wines. Orange wines have their own unique character. The flavor profiles are different and they often have tannins.
• popular with artisan winegrowers, often using a low intervention, organic, biodynamic or natural approach.

Orange Wine is not:

• natural wine. Some orange wines fit the natural wine definition, others do not. This is a separate decision on the part of the winemaker.
• oxidized. Some orange wines are aged for long periods of time in porous containers (e.g. qvervi) and show oxidized character. Again, this is a separate winemaking decision.
• funky or flawed.  As with all wines, there are examples of flawed wines in the marketplace.

What does Orange wine taste like?
Not all white wines taste the same, nor do all red wines. Orange wines are no exception and span a broad range of aromas, flavors and textures. Here are a few general notes:

• Orange wines are closer kin to red wines than to typical white wines. They have texture and mouthfeel similar to red wines and may also have some tannins.
• Serve orange wines just slightly below room temperature (similar to red wines). Don’t serve them too cold!
• Aromas and flavors vary, often they will present stone fruits, citrus, sometimes dried fruits. They may also show spicy and earthy characteristics.
• Orange wines from low intervention and natural winemakers may exhibit cidery aromas initially, and sometimes may show oxidized notes. These come with the territory of long aging in clay based semi-porous containers and no added sulfites. These are more prevalent in the wines from Italy and Slovenia. Give them a try!

Some Producers to Try
By no means a complete list, these are some producers I have tried and enjoyed.

William Allen at Two Shepherds is a fan and crafts multiple orange wines

Troon Vineyard has recently added several skin-fermented wines to their lineup

Steve Matthiasson’s skin fermented Ribolla Gialla is a fun comparison to Italian versions

Donkey and Goat were early adopters in the US.

Matthew Rorick at Forlorn Hope has some thoughtful entries

Domestic

• Two Shepherds
• Matthiasson
• Troon Vineyard
• Forlorn Hope
• Donkey and Goat

Arianna Occhipinti makes a bold Sicilian orange wine

Paolo Bea’s wines do show some oxidative character

Foradori skin-fermented whites spend a long time in contact

Skin-fermented Trebbiano Spoletino has been embraced by multiple winegrowers in Umbria. This is from Roberto Filippo

Antonelli in Umbria makes a fine skin-fermented Trebbiano Spoletino

Cantina Fongoli has multiple orange wines to choose from

Radikon is one of the modern leaders in the rediscovery of skin-fermented wines.

International

• Agricola Foradori
• Fongoli
• Antonelli Montefalco
• Cantina di Filippo
• Agricola Occhipinti
• Radikon

Food Pairing Ideas
Once you’re accustomed to the new aromas, flavors and textures, you’ll find these wines to be very food friendly. You may still prefer a light, crisp white wine for delicate fish preparations, bright fresh salads and fussy vegetables (asparagus, I’m looking at you). Grilled or fried fish and especially shellfish pair beautifully, especially with lighter textured orange wines. Chicken and pork are great, especially since they don’t seem to have a particular affinity with specific traditional choices. Duck is a favorite of mine, in part because Julie doesn’t care for either duck or orange wines, so when she is away for the evening, I’ll gladly enjoy them together! The richer, long skin contact orange wines pair well even with grilled red meats, although I still like a big red in that category! Finally, orange wines pair beautifully with earthy veggie dishes like wild rice, fall and winter roasted vegetables.

Foradori with grilled scallops

Antonelli Trebbiano Spoletino with shrimp risotto

Two Shepherds with grilled fish

Fongoli with roast chicken

Dirty and Rowdy with oven fried chicken

Radikon with duck breast

Paolo Bea with rare steak

Troon with duck breast, wild rice and fall veggies

Wine Pairing Weekend Orange Wine Pairing Ideas
You’re sure to find a tasty combination in our bloggers suggestions below. Why not join our chat? Simply look us up on Twitter at #WinePW on Saturday May 9 from 10-11 am CDT. We love visitors!

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures With Camilla will be Diving into the Skin Fermented Wine Pool of Two Shepherds Winery.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm presents Donkey and Goat Skin Fermented Roussanne: A Baaaaad Ass Wine.
• Andrea of The Quirky Cork takes up Turkish Amber Wines and Fast Food.
• Olivier of In Taste Buds We Trust is Trying Orange and Non-Orange Wine with Jamie’s Kinda Niçoise Salad.
• Lori of Exploring The Wine Glass asks Orange You Glad I Have Wine?
• Jeff of Food Wine Click! offers Wine 201: Orange Wine Primer.
• Jill of L’Occasion has us Thinking Wine: The Engaging World of Orange Wine.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass is Revisiting NY Finger Lakes Skin-Contact White Wines.
• David of Cooking Chat proffers Cauliflower Bacon Spread with Amber Wine from Georgia.
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator will be featuring Orange Wines from California and Italy by Accident and On Purpose Paired with Shrimp Curry.
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish posts He Said, She Said: Ryme Cellars and the Tale of Two Vermentinos.
• Susannah of Avvinare serves up Orange Wine From Slovenia’s Movia Paired with Homemade Sushi.
• Katrina of The Corkscrew Concierge wonders Is Orange (Wine) the New Everything Wine?
• Nicole at Somm’s Table is Cooking to the Wine: Kabaj Rebula and Chicken with Mushroom Escabeche and Lentils.
• Rupal, the Syrah Queen advises us that Radikon Orange Wine – Not Just For Hipsters.
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen offers Logan Wines’ Orange Wine And The Bacon That Changed It All.
• Terri of Our Good Life declares Orange Wine is a Thing.
• Host Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog serves up A Cadre Of California Skin-Contact Wines Paired With Ethnic Fare.

Yes, there’s even Orange Sparkling Wine!