Orange wine has become one of the defining drinks of the decade, sitting at the intersection of heritage, craft, and lifestyle culture. While it may sound like a novelty, orange wine is not made from oranges. Instead, it is white wine made like red: the juice ferments together with skins and seeds, producing wines that range in color from deep gold to coppery amber. This skin-contact fermentation lends texture, tannins, and intensity—qualities normally absent from conventional white wines.
What makes orange wine so fascinating is that it is both one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world and one of the newest global wine trends. Its origins lie in ancient Georgia, where winemakers have practiced this method for more than 6,000 years. But the international revival is surprisingly recent: a group of Italian vintners in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region began reintroducing the technique in the 1990s. From there, orange wine spread into Austria, Slovenia, Germany, and eventually to natural wine bars across New York, Paris, Berlin, and Tokyo.
Today, orange wine embodies more than just a beverage—it is a lifestyle signal. To order a glass in 2024 is to align oneself with experimentation, authenticity, and a willingness to explore the edges of taste. Whether embraced by sommeliers, hipster bars, or Instagram influencers, orange wine reflects a cultural desire for both the ancient and the unconventional.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Trend Name | Orange Wine |
| Key Components | White grapes, skin-contact fermentation, artisanal winemaking |
| Spread | Global—revival from Italy & Slovenia, growing in Austria, Germany, US |
| Examples | Georgian qvevri wines, Friulian pioneers Gravner & Radikon, Austrian naturals |
| Social Media | Instagram posts, natural wine influencers, TikTok sommeliers |
| Demographics | Urban millennials, Gen Z, adventurous foodies |
| Wow Factor | Amber hue, ancient technique, radical taste profile |
| Trend Phase | From niche natural wine to mainstream cool in 2024–2025 |
What Orange Wine Really Is
Orange wine is essentially white wine that borrows from the red wine playbook. In conventional white winemaking, grape skins are removed quickly to preserve freshness and clarity. In red winemaking, skins remain with the juice during fermentation, imparting tannins, structure, and color. Orange wine applies the red approach to white grapes, resulting in a distinctive amber or copper color and a more robust body.
Red vs White vs Orange Wine
Red Wine
Made from red grapes, fermented with skins and seeds.
Color: Ruby to deep purple
Taste: Tannic, bold, fruity, earthy
White Wine
Made from white (or red) grapes, skins removed early.
Color: Pale straw to golden
Taste: Crisp, floral, citrus-driven
Orange Wine
White grapes made like red: fermented with skins and seeds.
Color: Amber to copper
Taste: Tannic, nutty, dried fruit, savory
The technique can vary in length—some winemakers leave the juice on the skins for just a few days, others for weeks or even months. The longer the contact, the more the wine resembles red in its grip and intensity. The color is a visual signal of the process, but the true revelation lies in texture: orange wines have a mouth-coating quality unusual for whites.
This process also makes orange wines highly distinctive visually. They look almost antique in the glass—burnished amber rather than pale straw. This uniqueness has made them particularly popular in design-savvy, Instagram-driven wine culture. A glass of orange wine on a terrazzo tabletop or next to a ceramic plate is as much an aesthetic gesture as a culinary choice.
6,000 Years of Tradition
Though it feels cutting-edge, orange wine’s roots go back millennia. In Georgia, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of winemaking in clay amphorae called qvevri dating to around 6,000 BCE. Grapes, skins, seeds, and stems would be fermented together, producing wines that were robust, tannic, and built for longevity. This method was not an avant-garde statement but simply how wine was made.
For much of modern winemaking history, however, skin-contact whites were considered rustic or outdated, overshadowed by the rise of clean, stainless-steel fermented whites in the 20th century. It wasn’t until the 1990s that a revival began. In Friuli, a region on the Italian-Slovenian border, winemakers like Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon began experimenting with ancient techniques. They deliberately rejected the polished, international style of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio in favor of wines with texture, tannin, and age-old authenticity.
From Friuli, the trend spread across neighboring Slovenia and Austria, where natural wine producers embraced skin-contact whites as symbols of purity and tradition. By the 2010s, orange wine had reached global natural wine bars, becoming a countercultural emblem for drinkers tired of standardized varietals.
According to Wein-ABC’s “Wein-Trends 2025”, orange wine’s appeal lies in the duality of being both ancient and refreshingly new—heritage dressed up as rebellion.
How It Tastes
The sensory profile of orange wine sets it apart. Instead of crisp citrus and floral notes, expect layers of dried apricot, peach, raisins, figs, and nuts. The tannins from skin contact lend grip, while oxidative winemaking (sometimes intentional) introduces flavors reminiscent of sherry. Many bottles have a salty or herbal finish, reinforcing their reputation as wines for thoughtful sipping rather than casual drinking.
This makes orange wine divisive. Some drinkers are captivated by the complexity; others find it too rustic or challenging. Yet that polarization is part of the allure—it creates a conversation, forces tasters to articulate their preferences, and breaks the monotony of standard white vs. red categories.
As Les Tendances Vinicoles 2025 notes, younger drinkers in particular gravitate toward bold, differentiated flavors that stand out on social media and at the dinner table. Orange wine delivers exactly that. Its unusual profile offers both sensory discovery and cultural capital.
Why It Became Trendy
The cultural rise of orange wine is as much about identity as taste. In an era where authenticity and story matter as much as flavor, orange wine ticks every box: ancient tradition, artisanal craft, visual uniqueness, and a sense of rebellion against industrial winemaking.
The 1990s revival in Friuli coincided with the broader natural wine movement, which valued low-intervention practices and transparency. By the mid-2010s, orange wine was a fixture in natural wine bars across Europe and North America. Its glowing hue made it an Instagram favorite, while its story gave sommeliers something compelling to narrate tableside.
As Wein-Plus observes, orange wine embodies the “authentic alternative” to mainstream whites. For millennial and Gen Z drinkers seeking experiences rather than just beverages, ordering orange wine signals curiosity, adventurousness, and cultural savvy.
Food Pairing & Future Outlook
Orange wine is rarely intended as a solo sipper. Its tannic grip and savory complexity pair better with food than without. Mediterranean cuisine—grilled vegetables, olives, and lamb—finds a natural partner. Middle Eastern dishes heavy on spice and herbs also mesh well, as do aged cheeses and charcuterie. The versatility comes from its ability to behave partly like a white, partly like a red, and fully like neither.
As for the future, orange wine is here to stay. It has transitioned from a fringe curiosity into a mainstream offering, available not only in natural wine bars but also in supermarkets and e-commerce platforms. Its story—ancient technique, revived by rebels, embraced by a generation—makes it more than a passing fad. It represents a shift toward wines with narrative depth and aesthetic appeal.
In 2025, the appeal of orange wine will likely grow alongside other wine trends: alcohol-free alternatives, PIWI grape varieties, and experimental fermentations. But orange wine stands apart because it is not new at all—it is a return to roots. Its longevity as a style suggests it will continue to thrive as both a cultural symbol and a culinary companion.
For more on how wine culture is evolving in the digital age, see:
Wild Bite Club — Digital Drinks: How E-Commerce Is Behind the Boom in Wine, Spirits, Sake & RTD