Orange Wine Explained: Skin-Contact White

Orange wine, also called skin-contact white, is made from white grapes that are left to ferment on their skins — exactly how red wine is made. White wine usually has the skins removed straight away; leave them in for days or months and the juice picks up colour, grip and aroma. The result ranges from pale amber to deep copper, which is where the name comes from. It is one of the oldest ways to make wine and one of the most interesting whites you can drink. See where it sits in the wine cooler.

How orange wine is actually made

Take white grapes — the same families covered in our white grape guide — crush them, and leave the juice in contact with the skins, seeds and sometimes stems. Those skins carry tannin, colour and a layer of flavour that normal white winemaking throws away. The longer the contact, the deeper and grippier the wine. Most orange wine is also made with minimal intervention, which puts it close to the natural wine world — wild yeast, little or no additives, and not much filtering.

What it tastes and feels like

This is where orange wine surprises people. It looks like a white but behaves like a light red. Expect dried apricot, orange peel, ripe stone fruit, tea, honey and a faintly nutty, savoury edge. Crucially, it has tannin — that slightly drying, grippy texture you know from red wine. It is rarely sweet; most are bone dry. The body is fuller and the finish longer than a crisp white.

• Colour: pale gold to deep amber or copper.
• Flavour: dried apricot, orange peel, stone fruit, black tea, honey, nuts.
• Texture: gentle tannin and grip — fuller than white, lighter than red.
• Sweetness: almost always dry; if you want sweet, check our sweetness guide instead.

Why it pairs so well with Vietnamese and spicy food

Most wine struggles with Vietnamese cooking: chilli, fish sauce, lime, herbs and ferment-heavy dishes overwhelm a delicate white and clash with a big red. Orange wine is built for exactly this. Its tannin and savoury depth stand up to bold, salty, umami flavours, while it stays refreshing enough for herbs and heat. It is the bottle we reach for with a spread of local plates — and it earns a place in our wine with Vietnamese food lineup.

Think bún chả, grilled pork, fresh spring rolls, fermented dishes, a sharp papaya salad, or a fiery noodle soup. The wine's grip cuts through fat and fried snacks, and its dried-fruit sweetness softens chilli heat the way a cold beer does — without going flat against the spice.

How to serve orange wine

1. 01Chill it lightly — around 12–14°C, cooler than red, warmer than a crisp white. Too cold hides the aroma.
2. 02Use a normal red wine glass; the extra room lets the savoury notes open up.
3. 03Decant or just let it breathe — many orange wines unfold over 20–30 minutes in the glass.
4. 04Don't worry about a little cloudiness or sediment; with minimal-intervention bottles, that is normal.
5. 05Open it with food, not on its own — this is a wine that comes alive at the table.

We deliver every bottle cold across Đà Nẵng, so an orange wine arrives at drinking temperature, ready for the table. If you are new to the category, browse the wine selection or start with the natural wine explainer.

Drink less, drink better — and let one curious bottle carry the whole meal.

Is orange wine made from oranges?

No. It is white wine made from white grapes, fermented on the skins like a red. The orange-to-amber colour comes from skin contact, not from fruit. For the grapes involved, see our white grape guide.

Is orange wine the same as natural wine?

Not quite. Skin-contact is a method; natural is a philosophy. Most orange wines are made with minimal intervention, so they overlap a lot — more on that in natural wine explained.

What should I eat with orange wine?

Bold, savoury, spicy food. It shines with Vietnamese plates, ferments and fried snacks — see our wine with Vietnamese food pairing notes.

Ready to try one? Browse the wine cooler or head back to the guide hub for more. Strictly 18+.