Decanting Digest: A Detailed Introduction to Ontario Orange Wine

Orange wines have been capturing plenty of attention in recent months, so let’s take a closer look. What exactly is orange wine? (And no, it’s not wine made from oranges!)

This style of wine is made by starting with white grape varietals and producing the wine in a red wine style, meaning that the skins and seeds, and sometimes the stems, are kept with the juice during fermentation. Doing this adds tannin, an influence not often seen in white wines. Orange wine is the colloquial term because the resulting wines are often deep yellow to orange in colour. However, this technique is the reason the more technical term for orange wine is skin-fermented white, and you’ll often see both terms on a bottle’s label.

Tasting rooms are quick to mention that orange wine is not for everyone, but if you enjoy rich and flavourful white wines and would like to explore some with even more structure and depth, these might be for you. Here, we’ll answer some common questions about orange wines before digging into the details of some examples produced right here in Ontario.

Is orange wine just rosé?
In fact, orange wine is the exact opposite of rosé. Many (but not all) rosé wines are made by processing red wine grapes in a white wine style by removing the seeds and skins before fermenting.

What does orange wine taste like?
Orange wine often presents with unusual flavours such as bruised apple, over-steeped tea, jackfruit, hazelnuts or Brazil nuts, fruit beer, linseed oil, or dried orange peels. 

How should I serve orange wine?
Aim for a serving temperature of 12 to 14 degrees Celsius, or 55 to 65 Fahrenheit. This is the same as what you’d aim for with most full-bodied white wines such as Chardonnay. To achieve this, take the wine out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes before drinking. (If you have a decanter to do this with, that’s even better.)

What glass should I use for orange wine?
Orange wine benefits from a wine glass with a large bowl, which exposes more of the wine to air and helps soften the up-front tannin to reveal the wine’s full depth of flavour. If you have a glass designed for oaked Chardonnay then that’s ideal; if not, reach for your Pinot noir glass or whichever of your glasses has the widest bowl.

Should I swirl an orange wine?
Yes. While white wines don’t typically benefit from swirling, this will help an orange wine open up by exposing it to oxygen. 

What foods pair with orange wine?
Orange wines have the depth and structure to stand up to very bold flavours. Try them with strongly spiced chicken or vegetarian curries or heavily spiced east Asian dishes.

Orange wines are produced around the world, including here in Ontario. Here’s a look at a selection of VQA orange wines you can find at the LCBO and at wineries throughout the Niagara region.

Southbrook Organic Vineyards 2020 Estate Skin-fermented Vidal
$29.95 for 750 mL at the LCBO (VINTAGES # 628065)
Also available at the winery or online at southbrook.com

This is the orange wine that started it all here in Ontario. Southbrook Organic Vineyards was the first winery to produce an orange wine in Niagara, and their estate skin-fermented white has been made with Vidal since the first vintage. It pours with a beautiful marmalade orange colour and introduces itself with a complex nose with hazelnuts, dried orange peel, and hints of petrol—an intense combination but with a fresh quality to it. The palate opens with tart citrus flavours such as pomelo, then the tannin becomes evident with notes of tea, and then the finish is sweet and elongated with more citrusy and nutty undertones. 
Score: 7.5/10

Creekside Estate Winery 2021 Undercurrent Vio’rangier
$35.00 for 750 mL at the winery

Creekside’s Vio’rangier name is a clever portmanteau of the word orange with the Viognier grape that fully comprises this skin-fermented white, a stellar choice for this style. While the 2021 vintage was initially reserved for Creekside’s wine club, a few cases are now available to the public exclusively at the winery. This wine is unfiltered, which means it appears hazy in the glass as the prolonged exposure to grape solids deepens the tannin’s influence. The nose is unique with up-front aromas of herbal teas like peppermint or chamomile set with citrusy undertone. The wine is light and fresh on the palate, complex but with flavours that aren’t overly challenging: bitter orange, thyme and other herbs, and a lemony spritz. Delicate and easy-drinking, this is an approachable place to start exploring skin-fermented whites in more detail. 
Score: 8/10

Audacity of Thomas G. Bright 2021 Skin-fermented White
$18.95 for 750 mL at the LCBO (# 16878) or Wine Rack

This orange wine comes from a new line from Arterra Wines, which launched in 2019 and is available only at LCBO and Wine Rack stores. It blends Gewürztraminer and Pinot grigio, which ferment together on their skins for more than two weeks. Here, the Gewürztraminer plays a heavy hand with powerful floral notes and lychee on the nose. These two varietals compete with each others’ flavours and with the influence of the skin fermentation, resulting in a wine that feels neither unified nor like a strong application of the orange wine style. If you love the idea of a blend of these two varietals, that could be a reason to seek it out
Score: 6/10

Reif Estate Winery 2019 The Sun Skin-fermented Vidal
$24.95 for 750 mL at the LCBO (VINTAGES # 626036)
Also available at the winery and online at reifwinery.com

There’s an axiom among wine snobs that suggests an attractive label may be used to disguise a sub-par wine. In the case of Reif’s orange wine, adorned with a colourful and appealing image of two people dancing under bright sunlight, this idea couldn’t be further from the truth. The nose is many-faceted with layers of black tea, fresh and bruised apple, and a slight hint of burned-off tire rubber, but overall it’s fresh and inviting. On the palate, this wine deeply rewards patience: trying to drink it too soon may put you off with a bracing acidity from sharp lemon and black tea flavours, but allow it to breathe and warm up and you’ll be greeted with sweeter and more mellow tangerine and honey notes. This wine is well-balanced, approachable, and people-pleasing when served this way, and it’s not only an excellent introduction to orange wine but is one you’ll come back to time and again. 
Score: 8.5/10

Southbrook Organic Vineyards 2021 Triomphe Skin-fermented White
$29.95 for 750 mL at the LCBO (VINTAGES # 25292)
Also available at the winery or online at southbrook.com

And here we come full circle, back to Southbrook. While Southbrook was the first to dabble in orange wine in Ontario, they may also be the only Ontario winery to offer more than one orange wine today. The Triomphe skin-fermented white is a blend of Vidal with Chardonnay Musqué, a Chardonnay mutation with muscat-like flavours such as those you’d find in Gewürztraminer, mostly found in the Niagara area and the Finger Lakes region of New York state. This wine is unfiltered and presents with a yellowy-orange colour similar to a Meyer lemon. The bouquet is unusual with floral elements such as orange blossom alongside linseed oil and tart grapefruit. On the palate, multifaceted citrus flavours warm up to welcome tart stone fruits and a light sweetness with gentle tannin. Each element brings its own contribution to a wine that achieves harmony. 
Score: 8/10

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