The Bertrand family
Orange wine, an original organic wine tracing back to the origins of the first wines
Also known as amber wine, orange wine is a particular type of wine that deserves attention. Little known, orange wine is considered the fourth colour of wine, after red wine, white wine and rosé wine.
Gérard Bertrand, as a lover of terroirs and wines of character, wishes to bring this historic wine back into the spotlight, thanks in particular to the Orange Gold, an organically certified orange wine with a lovely freshness, light tannins and a subtle natural acidity.
Discover the organic orange wine Orange Gold Gérard Bertrand
What is orange wine?
If we were to give a simple definition of orange wine, we could say that it is a white wine vinified like a red wine. Indeed, just like white wine, orange wine is produced from white grapes.
The distinctive feature of orange wine production is that the grape juice is left in contact for a certain time with the skins, pips and stems (the framework of the bunch). During this maceration phase, the tannins concentrate and the characteristic amber-yellow colour of orange wine appears. Like other types of wine, an orange wine can come from traditional, organic or biodynamic farming (What is an organic wine? / What is a biodynamic wine?).
The AB label and the Demeter label make it easy to identify the wines most respectful of the environment. These labels, guarantors of quality, are obtained after being certified and audited by independent bodies, and allow for clear identification of wines meeting the specifications of organic and biodynamic farming.
Discover all our orange wines.
The origins of orange wine
Often little known, orange wine is at the very origin of wine itself. Indeed, the first wines, which were in all likelihood orange wine, were produced in the Caucasus (the region separating Europe and Asia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea), more than 8,000 years ago.
It is in Georgia, the cradle of viticulture, that the oldest traces of winemaking are found. The Georgian people would macerate and age white wines in buried amphorae. This small historical note helps to dispel a common misconception: it was neither the Romans nor the Greeks who invented wine.
What are the qualities of an orange wine?
What are the qualities of an orange wine?
An orange wine is (all the more so if it comes from organic or biodynamic farming) a wine of character, tannic, with very prominent aromas. Although each orange wine has its own characteristics, orange wines are distinguished by their subtle and complex structures whilst remaining balanced with a fine tannin presence.
The colour is luminous and ranges across a palette from pale yellow to amber. One of the main characteristics of an orange wine is its freshness and slight acidity. Orange wine is a very dry wine, which means it does not give too much prominence to sugar and alcohol. Being categorised as a tannic wine, an orange wine can accompany an entire meal, from aperitif to dessert. Its specific taste may surprise (in a good way) lovers of more "classic" wines.
Compared to white wine (discover the Gérard Bertrand white wine collection), which is the wine colour most similar to it, orange wine has more powerful aromas, whilst also being more digestible. Possessing a lovely natural acidity, orange wines are nonetheless less acidic than white wines. Finally, orange wines have, thanks to their high tannins, a good ageing potential.
Discover other explanations on the different types of wine:
How rosé wine is made: how is it crafted?
Rosé wine, the best rosé wine and the Languedoc rosé wineAnd to find out more about:
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