National Orange Wine Day — October 6

Every year on October 6, wine lovers have an opportunity to discover one of the most fascinating—and often misunderstood—styles of wine: orange wine.

Despite what its name might suggest, orange wine usually isn’t made from oranges. Instead, it is a style of wine made from white wine grapes that remain in contact with their skins during fermentation. That extended skin contact can give the finished wine colors ranging from golden yellow and amber to copper and deep orange.

National Orange Wine Day celebrates this ancient winemaking technique and encourages people to step outside their usual glass of red, white, or rosé and experience something different.

What Is Orange Wine?

Orange wine is sometimes called amber wine or skin-contact white wine.

Normally, when making white wine, winemakers press the grapes and separate the juice from the grape skins relatively quickly. The juice then ferments without prolonged contact with those skins.

Orange wine takes a different approach.

White grapes are crushed and fermented while remaining in contact with their skins for a period that can range from several days to weeks or even longer, depending on the winemaker and style.

The skins contain pigments, tannins, and other compounds that influence the wine’s color, aroma, flavor, and texture.

The result can be a wine that looks and tastes very different from a conventional white wine.

Orange Wine Is Not Orange-Flavored Wine

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding orange wine comes directly from its name.

Orange wine generally has nothing to do with oranges.

It isn’t necessarily orange flavored, and citrus fruit doesn’t need to be involved in its production.

The word “orange” describes the amber, copper, or orange appearance that can develop from extended grape-skin contact.

Of course, some orange wines may have citrus-like aromas or flavors, just as conventional wines can have notes reminiscent of berries, apples, flowers, spices, or herbs. Those tasting notes don’t mean those ingredients were actually added.

An Ancient Winemaking Tradition

Orange wine may seem like a modern wine trend, but the underlying technique is ancient.

Skin-contact winemaking with white grapes has especially deep historical associations with Georgia, where traditional winemaking has been practiced for thousands of years.

One famous Georgian method involves fermenting and aging wine in large clay vessels known as qvevri, which are traditionally buried underground.

These ancient techniques helped inspire renewed interest among modern winemakers who wanted to explore traditional, minimal-intervention, and alternative approaches to wine production.

As orange wine became more visible in wine bars, restaurants, and specialty shops, a style with ancient roots found a new generation of enthusiasts.

What Does Orange Wine Taste Like?

There isn’t one flavor that defines every orange wine.

The grape variety, length of skin contact, fermentation process, aging method, climate, and winemaker’s choices can dramatically influence the final product.

Depending on the bottle, you might encounter flavors and aromas reminiscent of:

• Dried apricot
• Peach
• Orange peel
• Apple
• Pear
• Honey
• Herbs
• Flowers
• Nuts
• Tea
• Spices
• Dried fruit

One of the most noticeable differences can be texture.

Because skin contact introduces tannins, some orange wines have a slightly grippy or structured mouthfeel more commonly associated with red wine.

That combination can make orange wine especially interesting: you may experience the freshness and aromas associated with white grapes alongside some of the structure normally associated with reds.

Why Is Orange Wine Orange?

The color primarily develops through contact between the juice and grape skins.

White grapes aren’t necessarily completely colorless. Their skins contain pigments and other compounds that can influence the finished wine.

The longer the juice remains in contact with the skins, the more pronounced the color may become, although grape variety and winemaking methods also matter.

Some bottles may only appear slightly golden.

Others can look like amber, copper, or even burnt orange.

That’s part of what makes exploring orange wine so interesting—two bottles labeled as skin-contact wines can look and taste remarkably different.

Why Orange Wine Has Become Popular Again

Part of orange wine’s modern appeal comes from curiosity.

Wine drinkers have traditionally been presented with a few familiar categories:

Red. White. Rosé. Sparkling.

Orange wine challenges those expectations.

It occupies an interesting space between traditional red and white winemaking techniques while offering flavors and textures that many people haven’t experienced before.

The renewed popularity of natural and minimal-intervention wines has also helped introduce more consumers to skin-contact wines.

But you don’t need to be a wine expert to appreciate National Orange Wine Day.

The celebration can simply be an excuse to try something you’ve never tasted before.

Foods to Pair With Orange Wine

The structure and complexity found in many orange wines can make them surprisingly versatile at the dinner table.

Depending on the particular wine, possible pairings include roasted chicken, pork, grilled vegetables, mushrooms, aged cheeses, charcuterie, Mediterranean dishes, Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian dishes, curries, seafood, and hearty autumn meals.

Spiced dishes can be particularly interesting because many orange wines have enough character to stand alongside bold flavors.

A fall-inspired meal could include roasted squash, mushrooms, herbs, cheese, and a chilled or lightly chilled glass of orange wine.

As always, the best pairing is ultimately the one you enjoy.

How to Celebrate National Orange Wine Day

The easiest way to celebrate on October 6 is simply to try an orange wine.

If you’ve never purchased one before, ask someone at a local wine shop for a recommendation. Tell them what types of wine you normally enjoy so they can point you toward an approachable bottle.

You could also organize an orange wine tasting with friends.

Pick several bottles made from different grape varieties or regions and compare their colors, aromas, textures, and flavors.

Serve small portions alongside cheese, bread, olives, nuts, roasted vegetables, or other appetizers.

You might discover that your favorite bottle tastes nothing like what you expected.

Make It a Learning Experience

National Orange Wine Day is also an opportunity to learn more about winemaking.

When tasting a bottle, look at the label and find out:

Where were the grapes grown?

Which grape varieties were used?

How long did the juice remain in contact with the skins?

Was the wine fermented or aged in clay, stainless steel, wood, or another vessel?

Understanding those details can make the tasting experience much more interesting.

Instead of simply deciding whether you like the wine, you begin understanding why it tastes the way it does.

A Wine That Challenges Expectations

Orange wine is a great reminder that familiar ingredients can produce remarkably different results depending on how they’re handled.

White grapes don’t always have to become conventional white wine.

By leaving the juice in contact with the grape skins, winemakers can create wines with entirely different colors, textures, aromas, and personalities.

That’s what makes National Orange Wine Day worth celebrating.

You don’t have to become an orange wine expert. You don’t even have to decide that it’s your new favorite style.

The point is to explore.

Wine has thousands of years of history behind it, yet there are always new—or very old—traditions waiting to be discovered.

So on October 6, consider raising a glass to one of winemaking’s most distinctive styles.

Have you ever tried orange wine, and if so, what did you think of it?