Seven reasons why I love orange wines

Giorgio Clai and other orange winemakers in the Ploder Rosenberg cellars

I'm drawn to outsiders - people who dare to be different, who stand out proudly from the crowd.

That makes orange wines - and the winemakers who produce them -  an easy sell. This is a style that can shock, surprise and thrill. A stand-out orange wine tasting at Styria's Ploder Rosenberg winery reminded me of how much I love these adventurous, and occasionally challenging beverages.

Here's why:

1. They're not made from oranges Orange wines are white wines where the grape juice has been left in contact (macerated) with the skins for a few days, weeks or even months, giving the finished wine an attractive orange (or rosé or amber) hue. Orange wines normally have more body and structure than a normal white wine, and may even have noticeable tannins.

2. The flavours are complex, arresting and unusual. Sick of your white wine tasting of stone fruits, citrus and … er.... that's it? Orange wines are never neutral – they can…