I recently had a Slovenian Pinot Gris that was almost red, slightly caramelized and oxidized. What was wrong with it?
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Dear Dr. Vinny,
I recently had a Slovenian Pinot Gris and it wasn't like any Pinot Gris I'd ever had before. It was almost red, more intensely colored than a rosé; it had a slightly caramelized flavor, bordering on oxidized. What went wrong with this wine?
—Drago B., Slovenia
Dear Drago,
I’m pretty sure you were just introduced to an “orange” wine. It’s an intentional style, the product of making a wine from white grapes using winemaking practices typically used for red grapes, namely extended grape skin contact during maceration or fermentation. They're a bit of a curiosity, and people tend to have a love-it-or-hate-it reaction to them. And you are right that they are nothing like a typical, traditional Pinot Grigio! Slovenia, along with neighboring northeastern Italy, is one of the places that orange wines are most common. France's Jura region and the country of Georgia have also helped popularize the style.
Even though they are called “orange,” I find they can be quite bright and vibrant coppery in color, even veering toward red as you’ve seen, though some are also bottled unfiltered, and that makes them look more like fresh-pressed apple cider. I do find them, as you describe, a touch oxidized or caramelized, with nutty and modest fruit flavors, and sometimes even a bit tannic or bitter on the finish.
—Dr. Vinny
