Less than a decade ago, these distinctive wines came in like a fad, but their mystique and quality fueled a popularity that has gone far beyond the style’s initial champions. – Tammie Teclemariam

On the second Saturday of each month, a group of bloggers who are passionate about pairing food and wine come together around a wine theme and share food pairings related to that theme. Our theme for May is Skin-Contact White Wines. There is a live Twitter Chat at 11 a.m. Eastern each of those 2nd Saturdays, using the hashtag #winePW. Anyone interested in wine pairing is welcome to join the chat.

A Type Of Wine By Any Other Name…

Skin-contact wines (a.k.a “orange wines,” skin-fermented,” “macerated”, “amber wines,” or ramato) are white wines made like red wines. What makes red wines red. “They ferment with the grape skins, which give wine its color. Depending on how long the juice ferments with the skins—anywhere from a few hours to many months—skin-contact wines can range in color from golden-straw yellow to vibrant amber to Tony the Tiger orange. The time with the skins also gives these wines more red wine characteristics, like bigger body and more tannin, while maintaining the acidity of a white wine. The longer the skins hang with the juice, the bigger and bolder the wine”. Source

Perhaps more so that than red, white or rosé wines, skin-contact wines are affiliated with very minimal intervention (some might say “natural) winemaking techniques. Most skin-contact wines are bottled unfiltered and unfined, so don’t be surprise to see visible sediment or the wine may even appear cloudy.

What Is Old, Is New Again!

While skin-contact white wines have been trending in the United States for a decade or so, their roots lie in the mountainous Eastern European country of Georgia. There, skin-contact wines are made in large, egg-shaped terracotta pots called qveri. These vessels are buried up to their neck and the wine is left to ferment from a few days to up to six months. The process, which dates back more than 6,000 years. Georgians call these skin-contact white wines “amber wine”.

According to Wine Enthusiast, in the early 1990s, inspired by Georgian winemaking techniques and natural viticulture, a pair of cult winemakers from the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Stanko Radikon and Joško Gravner, began to produce skin-contact wines.

There, the wines are called ramato, which translates to “copper-colored.” Made from grapes like Ribolla Gialla and Tocai Friulano, as well as Pinot Grigio, Radikon and Gravner brought skin-contact wines to prominence. It inspired a new era of experimentation throughout the region and elsewhere.

Serving And Enjoying Skin-Contact White Wines

• Like red wines, skin-contact white wines posses tannins that may need some time to soften. If time permits, give the wine some air.
• Skin-contact white wine are more structured than typical whites, so serving them cold will make their tannins appear hard and astringent. Instead, aim for a cool room temperature. I’d recommend 50-55 degrees F.
• Skin-contact white wines are very versatile at the table thanks to their tannins and acidity. I’d consider trying a skin-contact white with the same types of foods you’d pair with a medium-bodied rosé for starters. I’ve found I enjoy them with Asian flavors, but also consider other ethnic fare, fatty fish and tuna, roasted dishes, and earthy vegetarian fare. Also try with charcuterie, patés and terrines. And if you’re looking for one wine to pair with a variety of mild hard and soft cheeses a skin-contact white wine just might do the try. Let you imagination be your guide!

Resources

• Skin-Contact White Wines, a.k.a Orange Wine For Beginners – Wine Enthusiast
• The Kermit Lynch Guide To Enjoying Macerated Whites
• Orange Wine Guide – California Winery Advisor
• Everything You Want To Know About Orange Wine – Wine Folly

How To Join Us

If you are a food and/or wine writer or blogger, this is your invitation to join us.

• Contact me to tell me you’re in: Include blog url, Twitter handle, and any other social media details. If you know your blog post title, include that…but you can also send that a bit closer to the event. We’d just like to get a sense of who’s participating and give some shout-outs and links as we go. My email address is: enofylzwineblog@gmail.com
• Send your post title to me by Tuesday, May 5th to be included in the preview post. I will prepare a preview post shortly after getting the titles, linking to your blogs. Your title should include “#WinePW.”
• Publish your post between Friday, May 8th and 8:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 9th. You can always schedule your post in advance if you will be tied up that morning.
• Include links to the other #WinePW participants in your post, and a description of what the event is about. I’ll provide the HTML code that you can easily put in your initial post — which will link to people’s general blog url — then the updated code for the permanent links to everyone’s #WinePW posts will be available no later than Sunday May 10th.
• Get social! After the posts go live, please visit your fellow bloggers posts’ to comment and share. We have a Facebook group for participating bloggers to connect and share, too. If you need an invitation please let me know.
• Sponsored posts are OK if clearly disclosed. Please be sure to disclose if your post is sponsored or if you are describing wine or other products for which you have received a free sample.

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