Orange-tober: Why October Belongs to Orange Wine
Few styles of wine divide opinion quite like orange. For some it’s a revelation, the missing link between white and red that makes you rethink what wine can be. For others it’s a cloudy oddity that feels more like a dare than a drink.
The controversy starts with how it’s made. Orange wine is simply white grapes made like a red. Instead of pressing the juice off the skins right away, the winemaker leaves them together. Days, weeks, sometimes months. That contact with the skins gives the wine its amber glow, its textured grip and those wild flavours that make sommeliers swoon and sceptics scowl.
Older than old school
What feels new and disruptive today is actually one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world. In Georgia, clay vessels called qvevri have been used for thousands of years to ferment and store amber wine. Skin-contact whites were the original style before stainless steel, temperature control and the obsession with squeaky-clean freshness took over. So orange wine isn’t a fad. It’s a revival. A reminder that wine was always meant to be bold, raw and a little unruly.
Why autumn is the perfect season
Here’s the real secret. Autumn is when orange wine comes into its own. As the nights draw in and the food on our tables turns richer, orange wine sits perfectly in the middle ground. It has the freshness of a white but the warmth and weight to hold its own with heartier dishes. Think roast squash, mushrooms on toast, charcuterie boards stacked with earthy cheeses and cured meats. Orange wine sings with them all.
So yes, orange wine is controversial. Some people will always find it too weird. But at Vagabond, we like weird. We like wines that make you stop and think. Wines that take you off the beaten track. Wines that feel like autumn itself — golden, slightly wild, impossible to ignore.
Curious? One to try this Orange-tober
2024 Vagabond Urban Winery Night Tripper
Unicorn wine alert. Our winemaker José Quintana co-fermented Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc on skins for seven days, then matured the blend in barrel for nine months. Floral lift, baked rhubarb notes, a spicy, zippy palate. Proof that sometimes two wrongs really do make a right.
Going Orange
This October, lean into the glow. Pour a glass of something amber, let the debate rage around the table, and taste for yourself why orange wine is the season’s most exciting pour.
