The Orange Wines of Georgia
Orange wines from Georgia are not some citrusy specialty from our southern state. Rather, the term refers to amber wines, also known as skin-contact white wines. While this style is relatively new in the U.S., orange wine dates back more than 8,000 years to the country of Georgia.
Known for its skin-contact wine production and tradition, Georgia boasts a vast spectrum of amber wines made from fermenting white grapes with their skins in buried clay qvevri vessels. Winemaking techniques differ based on the regional style or due to the winemaker’s preference, but typically the grape juice is left in contact with the skin, and remains on the skin for one to six months.
These different styles and techniques allow the wines to have different flavors, tannins, and food pairings for every pallet. Georgian wine expert Lasha Tsatava has simplified these styles into three categories:
Easy-going amber: These are a great introduction to amber wines. Many of these amber wines are made with little or shorter skin contact in qvevri — often hailing from central or western Georgia. This group also includes grapes fermented with skins in thermoregulated tank rather than in qvevri. This category shows more fresh fruit flavors and lighter tannins with a moderate to medium body.
Oaked amber: This is a crossover category in which the wine is fermented and aged in qvevri, but then goes into oak barrels. The oak rounds out the tannins and adds suppleness to the palate. Still, these are heartier, fuller-bodied wines with medium tannin levels, with flavors including dried fruits and savory notes, often with hints of toasty, spicy oak. These are wines for the table.
Full-on amber: This category is best suited to those familiar with ambers, and these definitely are wines for food. The tannins are as robust as any hearty red wine and often technically have higher levels of tannin! The wines are full bodied and often have higher alcohol to balance those tannins, which are usually more prominent than the acidity. These wines tasted of dried fruits mixed with savory nuances.
Regions and grapes
The main wine-growing regions of Georgia are Kakheti, Imereti, Kartli and Racha. For crafting amber wines, one of the most popular white grapes used is rkatsiteli, Georgia’s most-planted white variety. When rkatsiteli is cultivated for an amber style wine, it commonly creates notes of marmalade, honey, caramel, white fig, stone fruits and sweet spices.
Some other native grapes frequently used for ambers include kisi, kakhuri mtsvane, tsolikouri, tsitska and khikhvi. Kisi grapes have unforgettable aromas and flavors, creating qvevri wines characterized by aromas of ripe pear, marigold, tobacco and walnut. Kakhuri mtsvane is light-bodied but full of character, with distinctive aromas.
In qvevri blends, tsolikouri and tsitska are often paired together, bringing their respective notes of yellow fruits, melon and subtle florals, and quince, melon, pear and honey, creating wines with medium to full body and refreshing acidity. Khikhvi, another variety commonly used for amber wines, can be used in blends or as a varietal wine, and offers floral boxwood, wildflower, ripe yellow fruit, apricot and dried fruit notes.
Reflecting the amber wine spectrum, Georgia’s skin-contact wines can range from more approachable, fresh and medium-bodied, to more savory, full and robust, with plentiful possibilities for enjoying and pairing. Depending on the bottling, the wines can be harmonious companions for hearty meats such as steak, chicken or pork, or also pair nicely with fish, veggies or different cheeses that accentuate the savory flavors of the wine.
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