Orange Wine

Orange wine gets its colour and name from an old technique applied to white grapes: leaving the juice in contact with its skins during fermentation, the way red wine is normally made, rather than pressing them off straight away. The result is a deeper, coppery-hued wine with more tannin and texture than a typical white, often showing dried fruit, tea, and nutty notes depending on the length of skin contact. The style has deep roots in Georgia and northern Italy but has been picked up enthusiastically by natural winemakers everywhere, including a small but committed group here in New Zealand. For another minimal-intervention style, Pet Nat is worth a look, and North Canterbury Wine covers one of the regions producing it locally.