Orange wine

Despite the name, orange wine has nothing to do with oranges. Orange wine, also known as skin contact or amber wine, is essentially a white wine made in the same way as red wine.

Instead of fermenting only the grape juice (the normal winemaking method for white wine), a winemaker will add the grape skins and seeds, leaving them to soak for anything from a day to several months. This creates orange wines ranging from deep gold to bright tangerine and a refreshingly sour flavour profile featuring vibrant citrus notes and earthy undertones.

Learn more in our beginner's guide to orange wine

Orange wines were first made in Georgia in around 6,000 BC. They were later enjoyed by European communities and made in many winemaking regions worldwide, including New Zealand and California.

However, orange wine began to fall out of fashion in the middle of the 20th century, as yellow and kiwi-green wines from France and Germany took centre stage.

There has been a recent resurgence in the popularity of orange wine, with its unique flavours being rediscovered. You can now find orange wine being made across the globe, with Italy, New Zealand, California and its ancestral home, Georgia, leading the way.

The day of your delivery will depend on which option you’ve chosen at checkout.  

• For a standard delivery, we will deliver your order in three to five working days. Delivery to the Scottish Highlands, some other areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and offshore islands can take an extra few days.
• Usual delivery times are between 07.00 and 21.00.
• You can select Next-day or Named-day delivery at checkout – but do bear in mind we don’t deliver on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

For the best experience we recommend you subscribe to our Unlimited service. A one-off payment of £29.99 entitles you to free delivery for a year – including free Next-day delivery. There’s no minimum order – you’ll get free delivery even on a single bottle. And you can get delivery to multiple addresses, so it’s perfect for gifting!

We want you to be entirely happy with your chosen wine, so we offer an unbeatable money-back guarantee on every single bottle – even wines you buy on sale.

No quibbles. No questions. Just your 100% satisfaction.

If you aren't happy for any reason, get in touch and we’ll arrange to collect your bottle within 48 hours.

Yes! It’s quick and easy to join our Wine Club.

You’ll start discovering new wines for less right away – and once you’re in you can easily tailor your subscription to your needs.

Want to skip or delay a delivery? No problem. Fancy a different style? We’ve a wide range to choose from. Want to swap in some of your favourite wines? It’s easy to do online. We’ll send a reminder email the week before delivery so you’ll have time to make any changes you like.

Learn More About Laithwaites Wine Subscriptions