The Fourth Color of Wine
Red, white, rosé. Most wine lists stop there. But there is a fourth color, and it's not a recent trend: it's the oldest known way to make white wine.
Orange wine — or skin-contact white wine — is a wine made from white grapes vinified as if they were red. That's it. No orange in the glass, no additives: just grape skins left in contact with the must.
What exactly is orange wine?
In classic white winemaking, grapes are pressed and the skins are removed immediately: only the juice ferments. In orange wine, the skins remain in the must for days or weeks, just as they do with red wine.
The skins change everything. They release pigments (the amber color), tannins (that dry sensation you usually associate with red), indigenous yeasts, and aromatic substances that are lost in classic white wine. The result is a white wine with the body and texture of a red. Red grapes, by definition, are excluded: the color comes only from maceration.
History: 8,000 years before the trend
Orange wine wasn't invented recently by anyone. In Georgia, in the Caucasus, it has been made this way for about 8,000 years: grapes ferment slowly in qvevri, terracotta amphorae holding about a thousand liters, sealed with wax and buried to maintain a constant temperature — a method that UNESCO recognized as a World Heritage site in 2013.
A long time ago, all white wines were made this way: golden, amber wines, rich in aromas and tannins. Then modern white winemaking almost made them disappear. Almost — because in Georgia, they never stopped. In Italy, skin-contact white wine returned in the mid-1990s from Friuli, on the Slovenian border, and from there it spread worldwide.
How it's made
- After crushing, the skins remain in contact with the must
- The duration of maceration is chosen by the producer: from a few days to several months
- Aging can take place in amphorae, wood, or steel
In Italy, grapes that hold up well to maceration without losing their identity are used: Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia, Pinot Grigio — and in Sardinia, Vermentino and Nuragus.
What does it taste like?
It depends on the grape and the days of maceration, but some characteristics almost always return:
- Color — from deep gold to amber, sometimes with coppery reflections
- Nose — ripe and candied fruit (apricot, peach, citrus), spices, dried fruit, resinous notes, and aromatic herbs
- Palate — there are tannins, which you don't expect in a white wine. Structure, savoriness, a long finish
It's a wine that surprises you at the first sip, especially if you're expecting a fresh Vermentino. By the second glass, the picture usually changes.
Orange and rosé: be careful not to confuse them
They are two opposite paths. Rosé is made from red grapes with little maceration: color is removed from a grape that has a lot of it. Orange is made from white grapes with a lot of maceration: color is given to a grape that has little of it. Rosé subtracts, orange adds.
How to serve it
- Temperature — 12-14 °C: warmer than a white, cooler than a red. The white wine fridge closes it off, room temperature makes it heavy
- Glass — a large, red wine glass: aromas need space
- Time — open it a few minutes beforehand. Like important reds, it evolves in the glass
What to pair it with
The tannins and structure allow it to stand up to dishes that would challenge a classic white:
- Blue and aged cheeses — especially Sardinian pecorino
- Spicy cuisine — from Mediterranean to curry: it's one of the few wines that can handle spices
- Fatty and smoked fish, bottarga, and full-bodied fish
- Lamb with myrtle, stuffed pasta, risottos with mushrooms
C'Alma: our orange wine from Vermentino and Nuragus
In Villasimius, we make orange wine like this. C'Alma is made from Vermentino and Nuragus grapes, partly organic, hand-harvested in mid-September in our vineyards.
Maceration on the skins lasts 20-25 days in steel tanks: that's where the wine gets its color, structure, and character. This is followed by 5-6 months in oak barrels, which add depth without overpowering the rest. No chemical additives, no artificial preservatives. We produce just under 2,000 bottles a year.
In the glass: intense amber, dried apricot, candied citrus, spicy notes with a hint of smoke. On the palate, it's savory, dense, with a finish of vanilla, caramel, and a touch of cardamom — the months in wood are evident.
→ C'Alma — Sardinian Orange Wine, on the shop
Zankitai: the refermented orange wine in bottle
The second house character is Zankitai: orange wine from Nuragus grapes, refermented in the bottle with sur lies aging. Maceration on the skins gives it structure; refermentation and contact with the yeasts add fine bubbles, texture, and a bouquet of bread crust and ripe fruit.
Same territory, two interpretations: C'Alma still and meditative, Zankitai sparkling and convivial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is orange wine made with oranges?
No. It's made only with white grapes. "Orange" describes the amber color that the skins impart to the wine during maceration.
What's the difference between orange wine and white wine?
The grape is the same, the method changes: in classic white wine, the skins are removed immediately, in orange wine they remain in the must for days or weeks. From there come color, tannins, and structure.
Is orange wine a natural wine?
Not necessarily: maceration is a technique, not a certification. However, many orange wine producers work with minimal intervention in the cellar. Our C'Alma is made without chemical additives or artificial preservatives, with partly organic grapes.
How long does the maceration of an orange wine last?
From a few days to several months, depending on the style. For C'Alma, it's 20-25 days on the skins in steel, then 5-6 months of aging in oak.
At what temperature should orange wine be served?
Between 12 and 14 °C, in a large glass. Too cold it closes up, at room temperature it loses freshness.
What's the difference between C'Alma and Zankitai?
Same vineyards, two styles: C'Alma is still, macerated for 20-25 days and aged in oak; Zankitai is refermented in the bottle on its lees — sparkling, with notes of bread crust.
Orange wine is not a trend: it's the oldest way to make white wine. We make it with the grapes of Villasimius and the calm it requires. The name, after all, says as much.
Salude e trigu — Colline del Vento
