As wine lovers seek out alternatives to traditional Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone varietals and wine styles, orange wine — aka skin-contact wine — is drawing the attention of winemakers interested in expanding their repertoire. Two Vintners owner/winemaker, Morgan Lee, and Eternal Wines owner/winemaker, Brad Binko, are passionate about orange wine. Both want to offer customers unique wines they may not be familiar with.
When it comes to orange wine from Washington, Morgan Lee is an OG (Original Gangster), because there’s a good chance he was first in the state to produce one with the 2010 release of his OG (Orange Gewürztraminer). His introduction to orange wine was, to say the least, unusual. Lee went on a sales trip with his distributor who was based in Baltimore, Maryland. “I was in the back of his car feeling a little groggy from the [red eye] flight. Out of the blue he asked me, ‘Is anyone in Washington making orange wine?’”
Lee responded, “We don’t grow citrus fruit in Washington.”
Even though Lee hadn’t heard of orange wine, was intrigued by the conversation. He sought out orange wines from renowned producers in Italy and some “oddball” samples from the Republic of Georgia. He was hooked. “I thought they were really cool and obviously different than what I had been exposed to,” he recalls, “and it certainly wasn’t anything being made in Washington.”
Two Vintners’ initial wine offerings were Syrah and Merlot. “I knew that if I was going to make a name for myself,” Lee recalls, “I needed to focus on things other people weren’t doing.”
Lee was offered some Gewürztraminer by a grower in Washington’s Yakima Valley. One taste and he knew those were the grapes he’d use to produce his orange wine. “The grapes were interesting and floral,” Lee recalls. “Plus, the grower was willing to harvest one ton of the most exposed bunches which had the most color.”
Brad Binko was first exposed to orange wine in 2012 during his stint as a sommelier in Charleston, South Carolina. But he didn’t fall in love with it until several years later after he had started Eternal Wines in Walla Walla, Washington.
In 2017, Binko was looking for a wine to make that was unusual and unique. He reached out to a friend who was bouncing around working at wineries in the Southern Hemisphere to learn what was trending in that part of the world. She was enthusiastic about orange wines. “After I got off the phone with her, my interest was piqued and I decided to make an orange wine, The Eternal Evolution,” Binko says.
Lee and Binko acknowledge that orange wines may not be for everyone. The tannins in some orange wines can be challenging at first. But the diversity of grape options and winemaking styles make them fun and surprising to both produce and taste.
Both see interest growing among their customers. “I think it’s trending up right now,” says Binko. “People are reaching out for new things, and they don’t want the same old Chardonnay. They want to try something different.”
Lee shares similar sentiments. “For the first time in my career, the trends right now for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are down and more unique varietals are up.”
If you are looking for something different that you’re not going to find every day, then be on the lookout for orange wine. What have you got to lose? Try it and see if you like it or not.
Featured Wines
Other than both being treated like a red wine, Two Vintners OG and Eternal Evolution are very distinctive from each other. From grape varieties, to color, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel. They are both intriguing and fine examples of the diversity of orange wine styles.
2021 Two Vintners OG | Yakima Valley AVA
This wine is 100% Gewürztraminer. The wine was macerated for eight weeks in Spanish Tinajas (large clay pots) and then aged for 12 months in neutral oak. The wine doesn’t “scream” orange color. It appears more like a richer colored white. The OG delivers floral aromas. Gewürztraminer skins are not high in tannins which makes the wine have a softer mouthfeel and it is less fruity than a typical dry Gewürztraminer. The Tinajas add an extra layer of texture and flavor. One hundred cases were produced.
If this wine was a band: “The Flaming Lips, because they’re completely off the rails and goofy with lots of showmanship,” says Lee.
Winemaker’s food-pairing suggestions: The OG goes well with things that have fat and spices in them. Try with curry, aged cheeses like Gouda and Manchego, or Thanksgiving turkey.
$30 | 13% ABV
2019 Eternal Evolution | Columbia Valley AVA
This wine is a co-fermentation of Albariño, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne in equal proportions. The wine was macerated for 27 days and aged for 18 months in neutral oak. It exhibits a deep amber color with aromas of honey or Madeira. Vibrant acidity and pronounced tannins stand out on the palate. It was bottled with very light filtration to allow the wine to continue to evolve in the bottle. The flavors of the wine will change in the glass as the wine opens and warms up. One hundred cases were produced.
If this wine was a band: “It’s a little bit of a punk, maybe like Joan Jett back in the day, not what everybody expects, not what everybody wants, but it’s what everybody needs,” says Binko.
Winemaker’s food pairing suggestions: Shellfish with a nice tomato broth or Thanksgiving turkey.
$39 | 12% ABV
