The 25 Best Orange Wines for 2025

The white wine grapes that we know and love take on entirely different personalities when made with skin contact. Once grapes like Pinot Grigio, Grüner Veltliner, or Viognier spend some time aging on their skins, they transform and develop new layers of depth and flavor. They often have more body and structure than their white counterparts, and can be served at room temp, cellar temp or chilled down. There’s a whole new world of possibilities when we embrace this ancient winemaking method.

While orange wine has been a common sight in central Europe for centuries, the U.S. is only now showing that this hue has become a standard in our drinking culture. Some producers stateside are channeling ancient winemaking traditions, planting grapes like Ribolla Gialla and using amphora to make orange wine, while others are experimenting with new varieties and styles.

This list covers the full spectrum of orange wines from light, glou glou bottles from California, to aromatic, juicy expressions from Alsace, and of course, structured, intense wines from (and inspired by) Friuli and Georgia. Whether you’re an orange wine beginner or a die-hard fan, here are 25 of the best skin-contact wines for 2025.

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Within this scope, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This ensures we have a close eye on what’s new and exciting. Crucially, it also provides us with the context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great, whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective — or both.

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How We Taste

We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.

VinePair’s tasting panel evaluates every wine on its aromas, flavors, structure, balance, and quality. We also consider whether or not the wine showed typicity for its specific grape or region.

How We Compiled This List

In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best orange wines to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.

For the orange wine roundup, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based upon the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially driven list that meets our criteria of best orange wines to buy right now. Each wine was assessed on quality, price, and availability to compile the final list.

The Best Orange Wine for Beginners

Tinto Amorio ‘Bheeyo’ Orange 2024

As skin-contact wine becomes more of a standard than a curiosity in the U.S., we are seeing so many new winemakers try their hand at it. One great example of that is Tinto Amorio, a California-based brand founded by Anish Patel in 2018 that focuses on ultra-approachable, drinkable wines.

We love Tinto Amorio’s juicy, fruit-forward Bheeyo bottling. The base of this wine is the famously aromatic Gewürztraminer grape. But then things get crazy. The winery adds a splash of Zinfandel and co-ferment the two with 22 days of skin contact and semi-carbonic maceration.The result is a wild ride for the senses and a delicious wine for any occasion. The nose is fragrant with notes of freshly squeezed grapefruit, orange peel, aloe, lychee, and ginger. The palate is easy-drinking with more citrus and tropical fruit notes and some hints of savory complexity.

Average Price: $29
Rating: 92

The Best Orange Wine for Enthusiasts

Dario Prinčič ‘Jak’ 2020

Where American orange wines tend to be more playful, some of the more traditional skin-contact wines of Europe can be dense, complex, and tannic. From the Republic of Georgia, winding down through central Europe through Slovenia and west to the sloping hills of eastern Italy, this style has survived. And just as the ancient ways of the winemakers of Tbilisi fermented white wine grapes on skins, so too did the winemakers in the hills of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Founded in 1993 in the village of Oslavia, the Dario Prinčič winery was a pioneer in Friuli’s orange wines. This skin-contact Friulano is a great example of what skin-contact wine means in this region. It’s an absolutely beautiful wine that welcomes your senses with notes of bruised apples, fall leaves, sage, and hints of ginger, white pepper, black tea, and cardamom. The palate is extremely balanced with a viscous mouthfeel complemented by wonderful natural acidity and a grippy tannic frame. This is a great wine to enjoy with food or to throw into a decanter and marvel at its evolution.

Average Price: $65
Rating: 95

The Best of the Rest:

The Best Orange Wines Under $25

Ptujska Klet ‘Halozan’ Orange 2023

Breaking news: Orange wine is now sessionable. This liter bottle from Slovenia is another great introduction to the style, with low alcohol and an easy palate. The nose pops with passion fruit, apricot, and ginger notes and the palate is filled with juicy citrus and tropical fruit. The extremely refreshing acidity and low, 10 percent ABV keeps it quaffable.

Average Price: $19
Rating: 92

Borgo Savaian ‘Aransat’ 2023

According to the brand, “Aransat” is local Friulian slang for “orange.” And fittingly, we think this wine is a great representative of the skin-contact wines of Friuli. It’s made with a blend of 90 percent Pinot Grigio and 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc, which are both popular grapes in the white-wine dominated area of northeastern Italy. The grapes come from sustainably farmed vines near the hillsides of Monte Quarin. The resulting wine is rich with character while still being approachable. It has notes of apples and honey with a deep minerality and a slight grip around the edges. For around $20, this is a great way to explore the skin-contact wines of Friuli.

Average Price: $20
Rating: 92

Osmote ‘Red Fox’ White Hybrid Blend 2023

Osmote Winery, which overlooks the Finger Lakes’ expansive Seneca Lake, is part of a growing community of passionate winemakers staking ground here and guiding the AVA into the future. This unexpected blend of Friulano with local hybrid grapes Cayuga White and Traminette comes together beautifully. The nose is floral and bright with some waxy tropical fruit. The palate is dry with a nice grip and good medium fruit to match the very prominent acidity.

Average Price: $20
Rating: 91

Fallen Grape Wine Co. Mother 2023

Here is an orange for any occasion. It’s not about complexity here but easy sipping on good chilled wine at the beach, picnic, park, or pool. Ginger and grapefruit welcome the nose. The savory palate is balanced with some good depth. This is such a solid wine in a growing U.S. category that can be a little overwhelming.

Average Price: $20
Rating: 90

Living Roots Wine & Co. Session Gold NV

Sebastian and Colleen Hardy have something very cool going on. They work vineyards in Seb’s home country of Australia while also making wine in their new-ish vineyard overlooking Keuka Lake where Colleen grew up. This bottling from the Finger Lakes is Living Roots’ experimental take on orange wine. It’s made with Cayuga White fermented on skins from Aromella grapes combined with Vidal fermented on Traminette skins. On the nose, it smells like a cozy book store filled with paperbacks and a stick of orange peel incense burning in the corner.

Average Price: $20
Rating: 90

Mylonas Savatiano ‘Naked Truth’ 2024

This wine is made from the native Savatino grape in the Attica region of Central Greece. And although this is one of the most widely planted white wine grapes in Greece, it is here in Central Greece where it is thought to have originated. So to have a skin-contact wine from an ancient grape in a country that made wine their entire identity in antiquity makes so much sense. It has a honeyed nose with subtle hints of ripe pear. The palate is deep with seamless tannins and acidity. Well done.

Average Price: $21
Rating: 91

Cirelli Orange NV

Trebbiano is the white wine grape of the region of Abruzzo on the eastern coast of Italy. It’s known for its light, fruity character and acidity. But when Trebbiano sees some skin contact it’s a whole different wine with more depth of flavor. This skin macerated Trebbiano has a musky nose with slight hints of orchard fruit, grapefruit pith, wet stones, and ginger. The palate is easy and uncomplicated with a slight drying edge and good acidity.

Average Price: $22
Rating: 90

Domaine Cazes Macabeo 2024

The Macabeo grape is mostly known for its role in Spain’s famous Cava blends. But the variety also has a home right across the border in southern France. And here it takes on an entirely different personality. This example from Domaine Cazes offers aromas of beeswax and aloe as well as a dollop of honey and flower pollen. The palate is dry and lean with just the right fruit depth to keep the wine refreshing and balanced.

Average price: $23
Rating: 95

The Best Orange Wines Under $30

Forlorn Hope Queen of the Sierra Amber 2023

We just lost our noggins over Forlorn Hope’s “lost and found” flor-like Chardonnay and here we go again with an amazingly unique amber wine. The grapes are sourced from the organically farmed, high-elevation Rorick Heritage vineyard in Calaveras County in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The blend is primarily composed of Verdelho, Albariño, Muscat, and Chardonnay, adding bright aromatics and good structure to the final wine. The result is one of the most unique American skin-contact wines out there. Pears, mushrooms, and tea mingle with hints of ginger and cardamom on the nose. The palate is grippy and dry with a good, rich fruit core and some added floral notes.

Average Price: $25
Rating: 94

Markus Altenburger Skin and Stones 2023

Winemaker Markus Altenburger organically farms 42 acres of land in Austria’s Burgenland. The “Skin and Stones” bottling refers to how the wine is made with skin maceration from grapes grown on stony soils. This wine was made with six of the 10 white wine grapes Markus works with including Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, and Muskat Ottonel, giving it a bright aromatic twist. The result, after employing oak, stainless steel, and even concrete eggs in the winemaking process, is a soft, dry, and complex wine. It opens with ripe honeydew melon, pears, and white pepper on the nose. The palate is deep and structured with a generous fruit core and grippy tannins. Very balanced and delicious.

Average Price: $25
Rating: 94

Celler 9+ 3r 2024

One of the best parts of being into wine is exploration. And this wine, made from the Cartoixà Vermell grape, was certainly a new discovery for us. It’s a pink-skinned mutation of the local grape Xarel-lo, leading to a beautifully deep magenta skin-contact wine. Balsamic, cherry blossom, and cranberry notes pop on the nose. The palate is deep, savory, and mineral with strawberry flavors and a touch of funk that makes it a great cheese pairing.

Average Price: $25
Rating: 90

Les Vins Pirouettes Eros de Vincent 2024

This skin-contact wine from Alsace boasts a hefty list of grapes including Sylvaner, Riesling, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer, which come together to make an aromatic, juicy, easy-drinking orange. This wine is subtle on the nose with hints of grapefruit and cherries. The palate is juicy with ripe tropical fruit and citrus, with a slight pithy, bitter finish that adds complexity.

Average price: $25
Rating: 90

The Best Orange Wines Under $50

Iberieli Cecilia 2021

Sipping this bottle is like sipping time. It is from the Republic of Georgia, which long ago embraced skin contact wine to the point that it became a significant part of their national identity. It is even said that the Georgian script is inspired by the grapevine. This wine is a blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane from the sloping vineyards of Teliani in the famed Kakheti region. The wine is fermented in qvevri — clay pots traditional in Georgian winemaking — and aged on the skins for seven months. This is a classic example of wines you will encounter from here, and it’s delicious. The nose is full of spiced citrus and beeswax with a good dose of orange cream and ginger. The palate has a wonderful depth with great supportive acidity. This is a true Georgian white wine, love it.

Average price: $28
Rating: 94

Florèz Wines ‘Kind of Orange’ 2023

Florèz Wines was started by James Jelks in 2017, making wine from in and around California’s high-elevation Santa Cruz area. According to Jelks, this wine used to be made with Sauvignon Blanc, but when the vineyard fell into disrepair he decided to reinvent the wine. Thank Dionysus they found Viognier! What Jelks has coaxed out of this already aromatic white wine grape is absolutely delicious. It has a nose of juicy peaches, vanilla, and ginger with floral hints of honeysuckle. The palate is almost like a heady, hazy beer with excellent acidity and fruit depth. The flavors on the palate bloom into grapefruit and white pepper.

Average Price: $30
Rating: 95

Swick Wines Mallsoft 2023

Mallsoft is a subgenre of the Vaporwave music genre. It centers around the electronic, easy music we heard in malls back in the day. It’s an oddly soothing genre. According to the winery’s owner and winemaker Joe Swick — whose goal is to promote the Pacific Northwest through wine — he listened to a lot of Mallsoft when making this unique bottling. The blend of Aligoté, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer has pops of spiced tropical fruit with ginger and cream on the nose. The palate has concentrated notes of peach, citrus, and mango with more savory hints with good acidity. As smooth as the soothing tones of mallsoft tunes.

Average Price: $35
Rating: 91

Flying Fox Vineyard and Winery Sly Fox Sauvignon Gris 2023

Since 2006, Virginia’s Flying Fox Vineyard and Winery has been making a Voignier, a red blend, and a rosé. They have since expanded in their experimentation and now offer vermouth, Cabernet Franc and sherry-inspired wine. Fortunately, they also decided to try their hand at making a skin-contact wine with Sauvignon Gris — and it’s delicious. The nose is subtle with hints of roasted pear and the slightest suggestion of honey. The palate is all about texture. The acidity is very high but the skin contact brings just the right amount of depth to balance the wine and its elements.

Average Price: $35
Rating: 92

Rodica Sivi Pinot 2020

Pinot Gris (Sivi Pinot in Slovenian) is a variety that lends itself well to some time on the skins. And this example from Rodica sets the standard for complex, focused, and transcending skin-contact wine. It’s electric pink in the glass with a subtle nose of strawberries and white pepper. The palate is an experience of its own. It has big round juicy fruit — red berries, orange zest, guava — with a good amount of acidity to break up the weight and show off its savory side. This wine can hang from the beginning to the end of a meal.

Average price: $35
Rating: 96

Old Westminster Winery Terracotta 2023

At Maryland’s pioneering Old Westminster Winery, winemaker Lisa Hinton experiments with several expressions of skin-contact wine, including this stunning Terracotta bottling. The wine is 90 percent Pinot Blanc, which undergoes 21 days of skin maceration in amphora and the remaining 10 percent is direct-press Muscat. Both wines were aged on the lees for 10 months before bottling. The result is an elegant wine with notes of honey, grapefruit, fennel, anise, and clotted cream. The palate is expertly balanced between lively acidity, vibrant fruit, and a touch of tannin.

Average Price: $36
Rating: 95

Keltis Rumeni Muskat 2022

From biodynamically farmed vineyards surrounded by forest — and in close proximity to the Adriatic sea and the Austrian border — comes this delicious Slovenian “yellow” Muscat. This variety can give the perception of sweetness but when produced as a dry wine that sweetness becomes deep fruit concentration. This wine has a nose of ginger, cardamom, sliced pears, and a slight smoky aroma. The palate brings savory notes of spiced pineapple with a channel of honey running through it. Aged for 18 months in large oak barrels, the wine is framed by wonderful tannins that keep it in balance.

Average Price: $36
Rating: 93

Slater Run Vineyards RocketFish 2023

In 2010 Slater Run Farm became Slater Run Vineyard when it planted grape vines to add to its now-300-year-old farm along Goose Creek in Virginia. Viognier has been a staple in the Commonwealth for years now and this skin-macerated version of it is delicious. It has a tropical, waxy nose with hints of honey and melon. The palate is drying yet maintains character and aroma.

Average Price: $36
Rating: 92

Richard Stávek Medovy Muskatek 2022

Winemaker Richard Stávek had mead in mind when making this wine from the Czech Republic. Mead is fermented honey and water and he thought to replace that with Muscat. Stávek also raises goats and produces honey, so in a nod to the honey “wine” he adds a tiny amount of honey to ferment with the grapes. And the grapes themselves come from a vineyard made up of a field blend of various members of the Muscat family. Not only is it one of the coolest wines we’ve come across, it is also exceptional. The nose offers aromas of citrus, honeysuckle, and white pepper and the harmonious palate adds an extra layer of spicy, savory flavor.

Average Price: $38
Rating: 95

Voon Wines Malvasia Bianca 2024

Based in San Francisco, owners Evan Anderson and Cameron Foxgrover are focused on small production wines with the ethos of excitement and discovery. This wine shows that philosophy. This skin-contact wine is made with Malvasia from the Happy Canyon AVA in Santa Barbara. This grape does a personality shift in the best way with some skin contact. This wine has comfy aloe and waxy vibes flecked with white pepper and a pop of ginger and sliced apples. The palate has a welcome viscous character with wonderful acidity accentuating the floral notes.

Average Price: $38
Rating: 91

Matthiasson Wines Ribolla Gialla 2022

Inspired by the stunning skin-contact wines of Italy’s Friuli, Steve and Jill Matthiasson planted seven rows of the beloved Friulian variety Ribolla Gialla into their own Napa vineyard in 2006. With the goal of reproducing Italy’s greats, they treated the grapes as they would in the old country with methods like whole cluster fermentation, open top punchdowns (exposure to oxygen to enhance depth and color), and neutral barrel aging. The result is an amazing example of central European white wine — but made on the West Coast. The wine is a deep amber color with aromas of honey, ginger, orchard fruit, and apricots. The palate is robust with intense fruit, spice, and pepper notes. Grippy tannins make this an ideal orange wine for protein pairings.

Average Price: $49
Rating: 94

FAQs

How is orange wine made?

Orange wine is made from white wine grapes that have been left in contact with their skins, which is why the category can also be referred to as skin-contact wines. Normally, white wine grapes are removed from their skins after pressing the grapes, leaving a translucent “white” wine. In the case of orange wines, the juice is macerated on the skins, similar to how a red wine is made. The skins can lend color, structure, and tannin to the wine, giving orange wines a unique hue and flavor profile compared to white wines made with the same grape varieties.

What grapes are used in orange wine?

Orange wine can be made from any white grape varieties from Chardonnay to Sauvignon Blanc. However, there are some grapes that are more commonly used to make skin-contact wines because of the unique color their skins lend to the wine. For example, it is common in Italy to make a skin-contact wine from Pinot Grigio, because the unique color of the skins gives the wine a copper-like color. This popular style of wine is actually called “ramato,” meaning copper in Italian.

Where does orange wine come from?

With the growing popularity of orange wines, producers are now making them all around the world. However, the tradition of making skin-contact wines is thought to have originated in the country of Georgia, which is often referred to as the birthplace of wine. In Georgia, the white wines would be macerated on the skins and aged in clay amphorae they call “qvevri.” This tradition continues to this day, and many ancient winemaking regions also carry on this tradition. However, as seen in this list, there are incredible orange wines to explore from almost every region now.

The article The 25 Best Orange Wines for 2025 appeared first on VinePair.