What actually is Orange Wine?

It's a question we get asked a lot on our tours. No, it's not made from oranges, and there's no orange infused into it. The name simply comes from the wine's colour, which can range from deep gold to amber. You might also hear it called skin contact wine, amber wine or, in parts of Italy, Ramato.

Put simply, orange wine is made by treating white grapes as you would red grapes. Instead of pressing the juice away from the skins straight away, the juice is left to soak with the skins for an extended period, adding colour, texture and flavour.

It's one of the world's oldest styles of wine, with winemaking traditions in Georgia dating back more than 8,000 years. Today, some of the most famous examples come from north-east Italy and Slovenia.

Back in 2017, we made our first orange wine, inspired by iconic producers such as Radikon and Gravner. Now known as Little Bee, it has become one of our bestsellers and a brilliant introduction to the style.

While some orange wines can be quite challenging, Little Bee is softer and more fruit driven, balancing texture and complexity with bright, expressive fruit.

How does it taste?

Our focus with Little Bee is always to keep the bright fruit character at the heart of the wine. By extracting the juice gently and carefully managing the skin contact, we're able to capture vibrant notes of raspberry, grapefruit and blood orange, alongside the texture and complexity that make orange wines so interesting.

The warm and generous 2025 vintage has given this release a deeper colour than previous years, with beautifully ripe skins contributing both character and colour. Unlike many orange wines, the tannins remain soft and approachable, making Little Bee an easy introduction to the style whilst still offering plenty for seasoned orange wine drinkers to enjoy.

Serve chilled, but not too cold. Like many more textured wines, a little warmth helps the fruit shine through and allows the wine's full character to express itself.