What is Orange Wine?
Skin-contact or “orange” wine is a white wine that’s made like a red wine, in that the wine is fermented with its skins; which gives the wine more texture, flavour, and that golden/orange colour (which can be more intense depending on how long the skins are left to ferment, anywhere from a few days to several months). While it seems new-ish, it has been around for 8,000 years (thanks, Georgia!). And in Ontario, the production of skin-fermented wine was recently-ish regulated, so we’re seeing more local orange wines (thanks, VQA!).
The Birthplace of Orange Wine is Georgia where the qvevri (pronounced ‘kway-vree’) — a large, egg-shaped amphorae — is often used to make wine and is integral to the country’s winemaking tradition. Elaina Leibee, L.A. sommelier and wine buyer, said the survival of Georgia’s wine is remarkable: “Georgians have been conquered numerous times through the ages, and yet their dedication to the vine and qvevri wine…is woven into the fabric of their daily lives and has not been lost. Even when Georgians were under the rule of Soviet occupation and the demand for industrial winemaking became a priority for Russian consumption, the family winery prevailed.” Georgian winemaking is largely preindustrial, done without synthetic chemicals in the vineyard or the winery, and features indigenous grapes (such as Rkatsiteli), skin-contact fermentation, and naturally occurring yeast, leading some to say that Georgia may be the spiritual home of natural wine. New data from the American Association of Wine Economists shows that the rise of Georgia's wine exports is continuing; with Canada ranking 14th out of the Top 15 Export Destinations, importing 127,000 liters or USD $820K worth of in 2019 (compared to Georgia’s primary market, Russia, who imported 70 million liters, valued at $222.9M).
The Rules of Ontario Orange Wines (Which Rule!). In July 2017, the production of “skin-fermented” aka orange wines were regulated as a VQA category in Ontario; which allows winemakers to seek VQA approval so that their 🍊 wine could be sold at the LCBO. But to receive approval, the wine must pass a tasting, conducted by a panel of LCBO product consultants, to make sure it’s free of faults. One of the areas they consider is the wine’s appearance, and if you've had orange wine, you know they can be cloudy (because they are often made naturally and are unfined and unfiltered). At the time the regulation was developed, winemaker Ann Sperling said the challenge would be educating the VQA tasting panel for this very reason. Flash forward a few years, and we are starting to see more VQA skin-fermented wines on LCBO shelves; most recently I’ve seen Southbrook’s Vidal, and Lacey Estates Gewurztraminer, of which their agency, Drink Better, said in an IG post: “working with an under-the-radar producer like this has its own rewards… when it took ages to get it VQA’d (because it’s different), is one of them. This wine has already paved the way for many after it to pass the VQA panel.” Other Ontario orange wines to look for (mostly available direct from winery) include Leaning Post, Vineland, Trail Estate, and Stanners, to name a few.
PS - VQA Ontario is the authority that enforces the legislation that established an appellation of origin system for Ontario (similar to other wine producing regions, like AOC in France and DOC in Italy).
BC Riesling Fermented in Georgian Qveri. Similkameen Valley’s Scout Vineyard was started in 2018 by four friends who wanted to make minimalist, farm-driven wines, and practice a healthier way of farming. This month’s Crushable Wine Club’s offering is a Scout Vineyard Wine Pack for $110 (includes shipping and taxes), consisting of three of their rieslings, including a skin contact fermented in Georgian qveri (I mean, just look at that colour of the first bottle…!). The offer ends at midnight on Friday, Feb 28.
