SKIN CONTACT

Orange wines are not new on the scene—they were reintroduced to the U.S. in the last decade. Popular in the 1950s and ‘60s, they fell out of favor because of changes in attitudes about the purity of white wine processes. Some wine experts are still hating on them! The Epic Cellars crew was talking about our first experiences of orange wine recently, and we decided to bring the topic to the blog.

ORANGE wine? Why is it orange?

What makes an orange wine orange is retaining the skins and seeds of white grapes with the pulp and juice in the fermentation process (they’re also known as “skin contact” wines). Historically, development and mastery of orange wines originated in Georgia and Slovenia. The health benefits come from the extra polyphenols and antioxidants that stay in the wine, much like in the red winemaking process. And the flavors of them are unlike red or white—tannic and tart fruit, which complement strong or garlicky foods remarkably.

Love You Bunches!

My favorite orange wine is Love You Bunches from Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, an organic winery. The 2023 vintage comes from Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Gewurztraminer varieties, and it’s bright and gentle with notes of stone fruit and florals. Wine Therapy NYC says this wine is “crisp…not overpowering—no love bombing here!”

Orange wine <3 Pizza

I was in a shockingly good pizza restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, and I saw the

Orange Wine category on the menu and stopped in my tracks. And—sorry--it was more of a dad joke than a deft oenophile move that drove my order. At this place, the servers all run food and drinks for each other, and when they reach the table, they call out the name of the item so someone can claim it. I wanted to hear the super-serious boho runner shout, “love you bunches!” And they

did, and it was satisfying. But then I tried it. The honey and sour peach notes of this wine were magical with sourdough pizza and citrus-forward Caesar salad.

Don’t let experts tell you which wines are right for you. Orange wine is like a high school crush—you can hardly believe how good it feels. What else matters?