From Languedoc to Alsace, this hybrid colour is making a comeback. More and more winegrowers are macerating white grapes to explore new textures and balances, while the rules governing this age-old technique are still being written.
Contents:
- In the limelight
- Careful extraction
- Tailored maturation
- Less sugar, more ripeness
- Ten winegrowers, ten takes on maceration
- A category gaining its pedigree
In the limelight
Every year on October 6, ‘National Orange Wine Day’ puts orange wine in the spotlight. Launched in 2018 by The Real House Wine, an American wine-focused platform, the event aims to familiarise the public with a category that remains unique. Many in the industry regard the term orange wine as a marketing label and prefer to describe the style as skin-contact white wine. The principle revolves around vinifying white grapes in the same way as reds, leaving the must in contact with the skins, pips and occasionally the stems. This lends the wine its colour, structure and tannin character, opening up new food pairing possibilities. The technique is far from new: it dates back centuries, with Georgia at the heart of the tradition. Here, wines are traditionally crafted in kvevris, or large terracotta amphorae. Now, however, winegrowers are revisiting the practice, but with a very different purpose in mind.
Careful extraction
Although the technique is well-established, it requires careful handling in the winery, particularly in warmer regions. At Gérard Bertrand, the Villa Soleilla label grown in the vineyards of La Clape, offers practical experience with the style. “The main challenge is to retain finesse when working with sun-ripened varieties like Roussanne, Viognier and Rolle, which yield tannins differently”, stresses the company’s winemaker Gyslain Coux. “Viognier is naturally tannic, whereas Rolle quickly changes colour and yields few tannins. Therefore, the winemaking process needs to be adapted”. Each variety is vinified separately, with regular pump-overs and daily tank monitoring. Balance is also sought by using whole clusters alongside destemmed grapes. “The whole clusters undergo carbonic maceration, producing fruitier wines with fewer tannins. With destemmed grapes, tannins develop much more quickly, so we use shortermacerations” Coux continues.
Tailored maturation
Grape quality is crucial. The selected vineyards are farmed biodynamically and harvested by hand, one block at a time. Coux argues that this guarantees healthy, balanced grapes, well-suited to maceration. Next comes the choice of vessel. “French oak barrels add structure and promote oxidation, intensifying the colour. Porous terracotta amphorae preserve the fruit while allowing the wine to breathe. Glass globes and egg-shaped tanks retain fruit purity while contributing fat and roundness. Bâtonnage on fine lees rounds out the wine” he explains. The final blend hinges on the saline freshness typical of La Clape, producing a wine tailored to fine dining which, Coux says “can be aged for 15 to 20 years”.
Less sugar, more ripeness
In Alsace, maceration serves a different purpose. When fully ripe, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris can accumulate high sugar levels, making it more difficult to produce dry wines. Some winegrowers therefore try maceration. “Research is ongoing to identify ways of producing dry wines while retaining phenolic ripeness”, explains Raymond Lassablière,head of technical services at the Alsace winegrowers’ association (AVA). To avoid bitterness and astringent tannins, the grapes must not be harvested too early. “This is also a means of adapting to the market”, he adds, because “wines with residual sugar are less in demand”. The winemaking options are endless: maceration can last anywhere from two days to three months and take place in amphorae or tanks, using either a single grape variety or a blend.
Ten winegrowers, ten takes on maceration
“If you call ten winegrowers who make skin-contact wines, each will do things differently”, says Lassablière. Gewurztraminer’s pinker skins yield darker, more orange-hued wines than Sylvaner or Riesling, some may even lean towards rosé. This diversity explains why the AVA remains cautious and is determined to maintain a clear identity for wines bearing an appellation. Its main concern is that wines without a geographical indication may begin to imitate the signature features associated with Alsace wines, including the traditional flute bottle. The association has therefore decided to defer any decisions, while setting a few boundaries. Excluding the bottles is not on the agenda, but “they must undergo the same tasting assessment as other types of wine, under the same conditions”, Lassablière says: no excessive oxidation, overt bitterness or overly assertive tannin character. Aside from its colour, the wine should retain “the aroma and flavour characteristics expected of an Alsace wine”.
A category gaining its pedigree
The industry is therefore keeping a weather eye on these evolving practices rather than seeking formal recognition through appellation specifications. The technique, in its modern iteration, is still relatively young. As Lassablière highlights, initially some skin-contact wines had “serious flaws”. The jury is still out on the category while Alsace’s immediate priority is to secure recognition for its prime vineyard sites as Premiers Crus. Internationally, things are moving forward. In 2020, the International Organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV) formally recognised and defined white wine with maceration as wine made from white grape varieties, with a minimum maceration period of one month in contact with grape pomace. The one-month threshold does not encompass every maceration practice used in wineries, while recognition of the style remains gradual and varies across appellations. It remains to be seen just how much traction this fourth colour will gain. Driven by technical experimentation and growing demand for drier wines suited to contemporary dining, orange wine has moved beyond its status as something of an oddball. The challenge now is to turn that momentum into lasting success.
Florence Jaroniak,©canva
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