Orange wines - Significant or not?

This is the title of a  workshop I presented at Vinisud on 25th Feb 2014. This introduction was designed for people planning to attend, as well as Orange wines fans who just want to know more.

What's in a name?

First, some nomenclature: The term "Orange wines" is a crude descriptor, however it's concise and evocative, which is why people like it. "White wines made with skin contact", or "skin contact wines" is more complete and accurate. Josko Gravner prefers to talk about "amber wines", as more representative of the liveliness of the wine than "a dead fruit". Amber can certainly be a more accurate description of their colour. Interestingly even such a venerable reference as the Oxford Wine Companion lacks an entry for orange wine. Skin contact is explained briefly as a technique, but no historical context is given.

The problem with orange

Orange wines have inspired a love hate relationship with wine professionals. Following a seemingly seismic rise in popularity (at least with sommelie…