Skin Contact / Orange Wine

The Method

Conventional white winemaking involves pressing the grapes immediately and fermenting only the juice, without skin contact. Skin-contact wine reverses this: the grapes (white varieties) are crushed and fermented with their skins for anywhere from a few hours to several months.

What Changes

Extended skin contact extracts:
- Tannin — giving white wine an unusual grip and structure
- Color — ranging from pale gold to deep amber, hence "orange wine"
- Phenolics — adding complexity, bitterness, and aging potential
- Aromatic compounds — often more savory, oxidative, and textured than conventional whites

The Georgian Tradition

The most ancient skin-contact tradition is Georgian qvevri winemaking, where grapes are fermented and aged on skins for 6+ months in underground clay vessels. This 8,000-year-old practice is the origin of the modern orange wine revival.

In Japan

Delaware grapes in Yamanashi are increasingly used for skin-contact wines by natural producers, producing wines of unusual texture and character that bridge Japanese grape varieties and natural wine philosophy.