[𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟭𝟮] 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 (𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲) 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀
Channel: WINE PLUS
Date: 2022-01-18

𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 (𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲) 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀

The skin contact winemaking process results in an orange/peach/tangerine hue which leads people to call it “orange wine”. However, most winemakers prefer to call the wine “amber” or “skin-contact” wine since it is not made with oranges nor tastes like oranges.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲?
It is a white wine made by leaving the grape skins in contact with the juice, creating a deep orange-hued finished product with a bigger structure.
White wine vinification is a process in which white grapes are picked then the skins are removed leaving only the juice undergoing alcoholic fermentation.
Red wine vinification means red grapes are picked and the skins remain in the entire fermentation process. Besides other components, the deeper colour comes from skin maceration.
So, in short, skin-contact wine is made by using white grapes through a red winemaking process.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹?
Skin contact is a technique above all. Most skin-contact wines are low intervention wines, often spontaneous fermentation, no sulphates added, the resulting wines are not fined nor filtered. But it doesn’t dictate that a winemaker cannot use modern oenology techniques, such as selected yeast and temperature-controlled vessels.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?v
It is one of the oldest types of wine in the world, it has been around for over 5,000 years. Georgia is where the technique is believed to have originated. The traditional method of winemaking used in the region is to let indigenous white grapes ferment on their skins undisturbed in egg-shaped clay jars (called qvevri) buried in the earth for as long as necessary. 
In the early 1990s, inspired by Georgian winemaking techniques and natural viticulture, a pair of cult winemakers from the northeast of Italy, Radikon and Gravner, began to produce skin-contact wines and so brought it to distinction and inspired a new era of experimentation.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀?
If you are a sommelier, you might wonder if place them in the “White wines category” or “Rosé wine category”. I would add a “Skin-contact white wine” category.
Even if they are made from white grape varietals, the colour is much darker and tannin presence might confuse some customers. Although the colour is very close to some pale pink rosé wines, which undergo only several hours of skin maceration, they are not made from red grapes varietals.

𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁:
1. Pa’Ro 2020 IGT Toscana Bianco, Buccia Nera Loc. Campriano (Arezzo)
2. Uni 2020 IGT Toscana Bianco, Fattoria La Maliosa di Saturnia (Grosseto)
3. Biancoaugusto 2018 IGT Toscana Bianco, Le Verzure di Murlo (Siena)
4. Biancoaugusto 2020 IGT Toscana Bianco, Le Verzure di Murlo (Siena)
5. Piuttosto 2020 Trebbiano Rubicone IGT Emilia Bianco, Tremonti di Imola (Bologna)
6. Vitalba 2020 Romagna Albana DOCG, Tremonti di Imola (Bologna)

𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝗮
Mr Sandro is the oenologist of Buccia Nera winery, run by the 5th generation. It is an organic farm certified since 2002 with around 45ha of vineyards in different parcels, from 400 m to 600 m of altitude. The main focus is on Sangiovese production and its resulting Chianti.
Pa’Ro is made of Trebbiano and Grechetto grapes from very old vines. The winemaker objective is to have a skin-contact wine but doesn’t want to push the extraction to the extreme, thus skin maceration occurs for about 35 days in a stainless tank at 17°C temperature controlled.

𝗙𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗟𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗮
Ms Caterina is La Maliosa rappresentative. La Maliosa was born in 2009, but the vineyards are thee from 1960. Biodiversity and sustainability are the focus. The farm includes a total of 165 ha, of which 6 ha are occupied by vineyards, almost 4000 olive trees. Their wines have a carbon footprint certified and an overall carbon positive balance. They produce 5 wines, 2 white and 3 red, all organic certified. Interesting to note that they grow Cannonau Grigio grapes, similar to French Grenache and with nothing to do with Sardinian Cannonau.

𝗟𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘇𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗹𝗼
Mr Luigi is the winemaker at Le Verzure. The oenologist is Adriano Zago, a famous name in the biodynamic field. Young winery (2003), 4 ha of Sangiovese, 2 ha of Trebbiano and Malvasia, 5 ha of olives trees, all organic, completely surrounded by forest. They make only 4 wines, 1 white, 2 red and 1 red in amphora.
Biancoaugusto is made of a blend of Trebbiano (around 70%) and Malvasia (around 30%). Spontaneous fermentation. About 6 months skin maceration.

𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶 𝗱𝗶 𝗜𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗮
Tremonti winery, located in Romagna, includes 55 ha split into 2 estates (Imola and Forli). Its main focus is on the traditional Albana and Sangiovese grapes, accompanied by interesting experimentation, such as the first 100% Chardonnay and 100% Sauvignon Blanc ever produced in Romagna, wine without sulphites added, skin-contact wines. It is organic certified since 2014.


Read more at https://www.wineplusclub.com/is/2022/01/14/skin-contact-wines/