First, the so-called orange wines caught the attention of top sommeliers always riding the wave of trends. Then even regular wine enthusiasts heard about them. And you can get them right at Alko. And it's not about rosé wine, even though those can be orange in color too. Nor is it automatically about natural wine, although orange wines are often made in those categories as well. And by the way, important to know: this has nothing to do with added orange juice or orange peel in the wine.
Historically, orange wines have been made for thousands of years. Today, production is small-scale, but there are several dedicated winemakers from different countries of origin.
Orange wine is wine with nothing added
Orange wine is actually, strictly speaking, white wine. It's just made somewhat like red wines, meaning the grape skins are allowed to stay in contact with the wine. Normally with white wine, the skins are removed right after crushing the grapes so the white wine doesn't take on color from them. In orange wine, the color is very much desired, and depending on the producer and grape variety, the wine gets to macerate with the skins from a few days to even months.
Besides color, the wine also gets nuanced flavors, structure, even tannins from skin contact. They're versatile with food at the table. There are several white grape varieties that can be used, but one of the most generous in terms of color is Pinot Grigio, which makes it a common choice for orange wine.
Il Ramato
Il Ramato's intense fruitiness makes it a versatile food wine. It pairs with various appetizers, air-dried ham and richly flavored cold cuts, many fish dishes, white meat, and mild cheeses. Additionally, Il Ramato is also suitable for those following a vegan diet.
You can find price and product information here.
Landae Pinot Grigio
Landae Pinot Grigio, available at Alko, can be found on the Italian white wine shelf. It's made by Cantina Orsogna in the Abruzzo region. Landae is an orange wine, but it's also a so-called natural wine. Landae is classified as a natural wine because it's been fermented with wild yeasts and no sulfites have been added during production. The wine hasn't been filtered either, so cloudiness is typical. And so is the beautiful orange color obtained from Pinot Grigio.
You can find price and product information here.
