Orange wine is the latest trend taking over the world of wine. If you love rosé, I think you’re going to fall in love with orange wine. I spoke to orange wine expert and natural wine sommelier, Doreen Winkler, who loves orange wine so much that she started the first ever wine subscription service dedicated to skin-contact or orange wines, Orange Glou.
I spoke to Winkler about all things orange wine and why you should be drinking it. Winkler explained to me that orange wine is essentially “white wine in simple form, made like red wine.”
To expand further, it’s when the skin and seeds are kept after crushing. This helps give the wine its wonderful variety of orange shades. You can get orange wine from anywhere in the world; it is non-specific to any particular region. However, there are some hot spots, and Winkler informed me that the Czech Republic has a lot of good orange wine. Another famous spot for orange wine is Georgia, where orange wine has been made for a millennium.
Although orange wine looks orange, it doesn’t taste orange-flavored. I can’t exactly generalize the flavors, since each wine tastes different, but to be clear; it’s wine, not orange soda. For my fellow sparkling wine lovers out there, there are even sparkling varieties of the vibrant drink.
When it comes to drinking orange wine, you can pair it with whatever you like. In fact, Winkler told me that “fall is the perfect season for orange wine.” She added that orange wine pairs best with chicken dishes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin dishes, or other fall dishes. She suggested that although seafood pairings can work, these are not ideal for orange wine. She also mentioned that she loves to pair a glass of sparkling orange wine with spicy food.
For a taste of orange wine curated by Winkler in the city, you can check out Sel Rrose, a restaurant and cocktail bar with twelve orange wines on the wine list.
If you want to really familiarize yourself with orange wine, you can check out Orange Glou, the subscription box. Orange Glou delivers a curated selection of three or six orange wines to your doorstep each month. Each bottle will have a list of tasting notes, recommendations on the wine’s age-ability, vinification notes, and of course, food pairings. If you’re looking for a great gift for the wine lover in your life, this is a great option. For more information about the service go to orangeglou.com.
Orange Glou will be hosting a bubbly orange wine party on December 16. The event will take place at Fig.19 on the LES from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You can purchase your tickets at eventbrite.com.
