Why Is Orange Wine So Popular in 2023?

Orange wine's (also going by the name of Macerated wine, Amber Wine, or Skin-Contact or Skin-Fermented White Wine) current cultural moment is hitting its peak and this buildup has been about a decade in the making thanks to the 'natural' wine movement. With a growing interest in natural wines, skin-contact white wines became more refined and consistent in quality. Winemakers experimented with different grape varieties, fermentation vessels, and aging techniques to create a diverse range of skin-contact white wines. These wines became celebrated for their complexity, distinctive flavors, and amber hues, which are a result of extended skin contact.

As the popularity of skin-contact white wines grew, educational initiatives, wine tastings, workshops emerged to help consumers understand and appreciate this unique style of wine. Winemakers, importers, distributors, retailers, restaurants, social media influencers and everyday consumers utilized social media platforms to get the word out about orange wine and from there it blew up.

These days you can find at least one bottle of orange wine at your local retailer or restaurant, not only due to its popularity but also the discovery of not only how well it drinks alone but also how well it pairs with food. 

Having said that, Orange wine is not some new winemaking technique or invention that then developed a hype, in fact it has been around since the beginning of winemaking, tracing back some 6,000 years to the Caucasus region (today's European country of Georgia). After that and prior to the Middle Ages, the Greeks and the Romans also made Orange wine. Then the Medieval and Renaissance Periods arrived and Orange wine production declined over time as white wine became popular. When the 20th century arrived, Orange wine's revival came about in Eastern Europe and Italy. Late 20th century brought about global resurgence of Orange winemaking and finally today, with hype around natural winemaking (a style that itself is 6,000 years old) came the Orange wine craze.

While these cultural moments and hypes come and go, one thing is for certain - orange wine has withstood the test of time and will continue to stay here long beyond these trends.