Orange Wines: ancient traditions and a modern way of drinking wine. Interview with Sašo Dravinec, Orange Wine Representative.

An easy question: what exactly is Orange Wine? The term 'orange wine' is relatively new. It was formed by the practical British sommeliers to give an exact description of wine made of white grapes and left in contact with grape skins over a longer period of time (maceration). The same procedure is commonly used for red wine production. Through maceration, additional color pigments and tannins are eluted from grape skins, which impart the wine with a deep color of old gold or amber. In some places, but mostly in Georgia, macerated white wine is known as 'amber wine'. What is special and unique about Orange Wine? Orange wines are produced mainly by boutique wine-growing estates. Producers are mostly farmers cultivating small or medium-sized family estates. Orange wines are wines with a personal touch. Processing of grapes and wine requires plenty of love, manual work and diligence watching over quality and proper aging. Personal engagement leaves a unique imprint on the product. The most exposed orange wine producers like to emphasize that their work does not allow for compromises. Healthy grapes and natural production procedures provide orange wines with a supreme self-protection ability. For this reason, only a small amount of sulfur is needed to keep them stable. Orange wine producers are committed to sustainable production. Many produce their wine according to the principles of organic agriculture; some apply biodynamic methods. Compared to conventional wine production, crops are smaller and the aging time in cellars is longer. Orange wine producers are keepers of a healthy and orderly cultivated landscape. Among other, the revival of old winemaking procedures helps preserve forgotten grape varieties, making orange wine producers keepers of an important tradition. Does it matter what kind of grapes can orange wine be made with? Could you give us some example? Winemakers produce orange wines from a very wide range of white vine varieties. It’s not so much about variety as it is about philosophy and approach. Orange wines are the result of natural procedures. Main characteristics are spontaneous fermentation and long aging periods on lees in wooden barrels - no adding wine yeasts, no cooling in the fermentation phase. They are usually not filtered before bottling, which is done only after the wine has cleared up - also considering moon phases. However, some grape varieties are proving to be very suitable for longer skin-contact and orange wines. Among them, I can point out Ribolla Gialla from Brda/Collio, one of the hottest areas for orange wine production in the world, Istrian Malvasia from the Karst/Carso and Istria, and rkatsiteli and mtsvane from the ancient homeland of wine, Georgia. Many people is still sceptical towards Orange Wines. How to encourage them to discover Orange wines? A great start would be visiting a Orange Wine Festival or some other wine event showcasing these wines, where you can meet winemakers who will be happy to explain their winemaking philosophy directly to you. At a festival you might just find a wine that suits your taste. Another way is to go to a good wine bar, and see if there is someone behind the bar who is well-versed in orange wine. Equally, you could try a restaurant where an experienced sommelier knows how to combine food with the right orange wines. The very best option is surely to visit winemakers at their wineries, ideally in the northern Adriatic in Slovenia, Italy and Croatia, where there is the greatest density of makers of orange wines. Experience is always the best teacher. Let’s talk about us. What about the relationship between Vinitaly and OrangeWineFestival? The cooperation between Vinitaly and Orange Wine Festival is very good, we share the same attitude. This is also reflected by the response of winemakers to the invitation to join us at the OrangeWineFestival @Vinitaly on Monday, April 11th. We are very pleased that the pioneers of sustainable wine production from various countries presented their wines at the Masterclass and Walk around Tasting. Their visionary work has gained many followers. The niche of naturally produced wines is growing rapidly worldwide, there are more and more winegrowers and also more and more fans. We are proud to be a part of this story. We are also proud that Vinitaly sees a perspective in working with our organization. We understand this trust as a responsibility as well as an opportunity. We are confident that events in Verona and Izola in April will strengthen our partnership and pave the way for the closest possible cooperation in the future.