Orange wine is prepared from white wine grape varieties which have spent little maceration time with the grape skins. White wines acquire slightly orange tinge due to their contact with the coloring pigments of the grape skins and thus the name orange wine came into existence.

The process of white wine production includes primarily crushing the grapes and then shifting the juice off the skins into the vessel allotted for fermentation. The vital parameter for the preparation of orange wine is soaking the white grapes in their skins. Orange wine is prepared by crushing the white grapes and allowing the juice to bathe in the midst of grape skins for a certain period. While the juice is in contact with the grape skins; the juice picks up the additional stuff that the seeds and skins have to offer. Many times the juice is fermented directly on the skin.

There are many countries producing orange wine such as: - New Zealand, France, Germany, California, Croatia, Slovenia etc. Italian winemakers produced orange wine in hefty quantities till 1950s and 1960s, but eventually became obscure as fresh and technically correct white wines started dominating the market.

Orange wines have tannin which provides a significant flavor dimension in it. Many tasters find the taste of orange wine austere or bitter as tannin grip the tongue. For this matter, orange wines should be essentially decanted and served at room temperature; similarly like red wine.

An eminent winemaker Josko Gravner of Italy’s Fruili-Venezia Giulia region tried preparing this type of wine in order to give a new depth to the white wines.