What is Orange Juice Wine and How Did it Become so Popular?

Orange juice wine is a bit of a misnomer. 

And, just like rosé had a recent revival, orange juice wine is notably surging in popularity as of the last few months. And yet, most people haven’t even heard of orange juice wine!

Color

This category of wine gains its distinctive color as it is produced from white wine grapes, but vinified as if it were a red wine. The result? A product that’s distinctive, unique, and tastes like neither of its parents. The various amber-hues associated with orange wines depend mainly on their structure and whether or not it was finished in a wooden cask.

Taste

Orange wine is made from a range of different grapes, so it can vary widely in flavor. The most common tasting notes are bruised fruit, jackfruit, hazelnut, fruity-flavored beer, and apricot. Generally speaking: orange wines are robust and full-bodied, taking on the robust qualities of a red and the refreshing qualities of a white. Some orange wines are also incredibly intense in flavor and can only be enjoyed in small quantities.

Tips

Serve cool, not cold, to best display their flavor. Some of these wines are made via a method that has no filtration, so it’s not unusual for them to have some sediment and be cloudy (this adds to the character of the wine). But, if you’d rather see it clear, leave the wine to stand for 24 hours and decant to soften and leave the sediment behind.

Pairings

The duality of orange wine makes for a win-win scenario. In the summer, think of it as a replacement to Rosé or a crisp white and enjoy with foods you’d typically team with those beverages. Meanwhile, orange wine also has some of the characteristics of a red, making it an ideal mate for charcuterie, strong cheese, olives, and fall foods like squash, mushrooms, and roasted veggies.

Now that you know more about orange juice wine, does it sound like something you’d be willing to try? With a rich color and endless meal pairings, it’s sure to be an experience unlike any other wine you’ve had before.