03/23/2026
Identity Wine Co. club members are going to be receiving the new release of “Open Road” Skin Contact Viognier for the first time! So, what even is Skin Contact white wine you might ask? Here’s a quick primer below on what the cool kids are calling “Orange Wine” these days, but has a far more ancient history…
Orange wine, also known as skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine, or amber wine, is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed but stay in contact with the juice for days or even months, as is more typical with red wines. This contrasts with conventional white wine production, which involves crushing the grapes and quickly moving the juice off the skins into the fermentation vessel. Orange wines tend to be natural wines and have an ancient ancestry dating back approximately 5,000 to 8,000 years, originating in the Caucasus region, specifically modern-day Georgia. It is considered one of the oldest winemaking methods, involving the fermentation of white grapes with their skins, seeds and sometimes stems. The result is a wine that is structurally closer to a red wine possessing tannins and texture and often exhibiting dry and medium-to-full-bodied, uniquely complex notes of apricot, bruised apple, citrus zest, hazelnut, honey, and tea.
Wanna try it? Join the club at www.IdentityWines.com
