ORANGE AND NATURAL: A CLARIFICATION

Making Roussanne at Yangarra, the old pigeage way: wine fermented in amphorae may fit some folks' orange or natural parameters, but not necessarily ... photo Philip White
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What is orange wine? Natural?
Five experts' points of view:
an attempt to clear some murk 
by PHILIP WHITE

Plutonium is natural. Orange is a town.

Orange and natural wines are on the rise internationally.

I recently wrote of my longstanding theory that wine production, sale and marketing, and especially its packaging, shares a lot with the popular music business. Having been a music critic before I took my very deep dive into wine, I've often marvelled at the parallels.

Presuming such tinctures are not from Orange, and contain no plutonium, my article likened the current wave of very old-fashioned natural or orange wines to the minimalist reactionary punk movement of the mid-seventies. That piece raised a prickly frisson around the wine business, mainly because I confused orange with natural.

This was done partly out of ignorance - I have a lot to learn - but partly out of mischief. Some flushing out of the differences, if any, between the orange people and the naturalists seemed to me to be far too long overdue.

While underground movements tend to be paranoid and secretive, those that depend upon the actual sales of an item must eventually be governed by the law, or at least conform to sufficient fashion templates to be recognised enough to be saleable.

My colleague Jeremy Pringle (left), who's having a rest from his excellent Wine will eat itself  blog, winced reasonably at my music/wine analogy on the grounds of music categories being unfortunate intrusions in what should naturally be a fluid soundscape. Typical of his erudition, Jeremy's interested in quality, not categories.

But if you were one of the many premium winemakers at Orange, you'd surely prefer other makers who used your region's name to make clear they were talking of colour, not place. Whether the wine was orange or not. And if you were a consumer, you'd like to know the natural status stopped short of permitting the inclusion of plutonium.

With foodstuffs, consumers are constantly demanding more accurate descriptive labelling, if only to discover which evils or delights they're about to put inside their bodies. 

Stuart Knox, the Len Evans-trained proprietor and 'Bottle-Stroker' (his term) of the popular Sydney bistro, Fix St James, waded in on Twitter.

"Oh dear, it appears @whiteswine has gone all Wine Australia on us and confused natural wine with orange wine," he responded.

"Being that I'm a sommelier I'm well aware that @whiteswine has complete disdain for me and generally any sommelier's opinions," he continued. "There again, as far as I can actually see, @whiteswine is a blog that is built around disdain for most if not all of the wine trade."

Permit me here to make a clarification of my own. @whiteswine is my Twitter handle; my blog is called DRINKSTER.

While he missed making that distinction, Stuart settled sufficiently to make one clarification in our late night skirmish. He seemed to agree that natural wine is like the punk movement.

"However," he asserted, "if perhaps we are talking orange/amber wine then perhaps its spiritual home is Georgia ... I'm sick of the mistaking of orange and natural."

Believing that these sorts of wines are here to stay - they're basically the types of wine that were made for millennia before the modern industrialisation of winemaking - I presumed that if a dude like me is confused, then the poor old punter must be even more so.

If orange wines must be white, what do we call red wines that are fermented on skins and left for extended periods? Normal? ... photo Philip White

Since that twisty interchange, I invited three more highly-respected experts to clarify this murk.

The first was Max Allen, the popular author and wine critic on the Weekend Australian. Max has been a long-time evangelist, preaching the gospel of wines which are made without so much of the chemical and physical interference and manipulation inherent in modern refinery wine. 

"Orange is a description of a style of wine," he wrote with typical acuity. "Like sparkling or rosé, it refers to a technique. Natural is a philosophy, an approach, an ideology."

Max Allen is no punk. Here, he gives his beloved mandolin a tickle on the front veranda of Bill Monroe's old family home up on Jerusalem Ridge at Rosine, Kentucky

Julian Castagna is a Beechworth winemaker who made the first Australian biodynamic wines to blow me away. When I did my annual Top 100 tastings in The Advertiser around the turn of the last millenium, over three years Castagna consecutively entered different wines that scored higher than the thousands of others I tasted in those enormous blind exercises.

One of those winners of my Wine of the Year was a rosé. I couldn't believe what I'd done. Or what Julian had achieved. But in the years since, his Castagna wines have repeatedly dazzled and delighted me. 

And thousands of others, not the least his rivals.

Julian opened the door for this back-to-basics revolution. 

Castagna Genesis Syrah: the first biodynamic wine to alert me to the astonishing capacity of the voodoo winemaking techniques that follow the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner. Here's a full set on the winemaker's verandah at Beechworth, Victoria ... there aren't many Australian line-ups that come within coo-ee of this glorious lot, if any ... photo Philip White

"Natural is how we make wine; how we have made it from the very beginning," he wrote. "It's wine that speaks of the land from where it came, made without artefacts. I doubt though whether that is what is generally understood by the word. I guess most people understand it to mean wine without sulphur dioxide. Thus the confusion.

"Orange I understand to mean wine made with white grapes fermented on skins," he continued. "It is I think simply a descriptive term. How orange in colour it is will depend on how hot the fermentation got but the colour for me is less important than the phenolic structure which the skins impart to the wine." 

Then I invited comment from my landlord, the Yangarra winemaker Peter Fraser. Not only is he close handy - the winery's just outside my kitchen window - but he's been making some delicious wines without murk which could seem to fit a template that vaguely approximates either of the murky natural or orange appellations. 

Yangarra High Sands: 1946 model Grenache in deep aeolian sand, beginning to get its grasses back under a certified biodynamic and organic regime, after decades of conventional scorched earth viticulture ... can it be natural if it's been filtered before bottling? (Make mine a lightly-filtered, please.) ... photo Philip White

"My understanding of natural winemaking (maybe we should call it 'educated minimalist')," Peter wrote, "is to enhance and guide natural systems of growing and fermenting."

Then he added a telling sequitur: "If grape juice is allowed to ferment naturally and is left in a complete natural state it will turn to vinegar.

"Orange wine is a unique style of wine," he expounded. "I have two experiences of orange wine. The first was being poured 150 ml in a large burgundy glass at super hipster wine bar, and while I found the flavours and texture interesting I struggled to drink more than 30 mls of the glass, and was left looking for the closest pot plant so as not to offend the sommelier.

"The second was with sommelier Laine Kerison of Rococo of Noosa, who poured us all a small glass of Radikon (unfortunately I do not remember the variety or vintage) and paired it with fresh oysters with a vinaigrette dressing. It was a sublime gastronomic experience. It was only recently I realized, that while Laine had excelled as a sommelier in heightening that food and wine experience, these wines are maybe not designed for people sitting at a wine bar slurping big oversized glasses as we customarily do with most wines.

"More like sherries and other fortified wines they're designed to be drunk in small amounts as gastronomic experiences. I believe many producers and hipster wine bars are missing this critical point!

Having gone to the effort of growing,  destemming and sorting licensed biodynamic and organic grapes to this point, why would you let them go to a perfectly natural vinegar in the ferment? Or the bottle? ... photo Philip White

"But then there is the understanding that orange wines are white wines that have spent some maceration time in contact with the grape skins. This definition I believe falls very short, and needs much better clarification."

So there. If this clarification is to come from the producers, at least we've started the discussion. But, as with other foodstuffs, like genetically-modified and heavily preserved stuff, there are those, like me, who would like a slightly faster clarification than a long rambling spat is likely to produce.

Which would leave the door open for Wine Australia to impose its own appellation. Having just morphed into the Australian Wine and Grape Authority, it must surely be willing to thoughtfully consider changes to other nomenclatures, non? 

Max Allen wrote: 

Orange is a description of a style of wine. Like ‘sparkling’ or ‘rosé’. It refers to a technique.  

Natural is a philosophy, an approach, an ideology. 

Max Allen photographed by his daughter, Bridie 

Just as descriptors such as ‘sparkling’ and ‘rosé’ refer to the visual appearance of wines resulting from how they are produced, so too ‘orange’: by fermenting and ageing white grapes in contact with the skins, you end up with wines that often have an orange or amber colour. The word, then, derives from the technique.

Winemakers who identify as natural want to produce wine by adding as little as possible and taking away as little as possible. No added yeast, acid, enzymes, etc. No reverse osmosis, sterile filtration, etc. And the bare minimum of sulphur, if any.

The confusion has arisen because many of the orange/skin-contact-white wines you’ll find out there are produced by people who align themselves with the natural philosophy, and they these wines can indeed be cloudy and sometimes feral.

But that doesn’t mean all orange/skin-contact-white wines are natural, by any means: look at Gwyn Olsen’s 2013 Carillion Verduzzo – five months on skins, sure, but made from conventionally grown grapes, conventionally filtered, conventionally sulphured, and thoroughly conventional in character.

In other words: some natural wines are orange, just as some natural wines are red, some white and some pink. And some orange wines are natural, just as some orange wines are conventional.

The two words are not interchangeable. 

Carolann Castagna, sons Alexi and Adam, padrone Julian and respective hounds ... winemakers and fanatical gastronomes all ... photo Philip White

Julian Castagna wrote: 

‘Natural’ - is how we make wine; how we have made it from the very beginning. It's wine that speaks of the land from where it came, made without artefacts. I doubt though whether that is what is generally understood why the word - I guess most people understand it to mean wine without SO2. Thus the confusion.

‘Orange’ I understand to mean wine made with white grapes fermented on skins, from fruit that has been well cared-for in the vineyard. 

For me at least, normal knowledge and understanding and judgement of winemaking is still important; perhaps even more so. 

Orange I think is simply a descriptive term. How orange in colour it is will depend on how hot the fermentation got. The colour for me is less important than the phenolic structure which the skins impart to the wine. 

There are a very few interesting examples of this style, mostly from north-east Italy, but there are many more very bad versions. The market I think will sort that out sooner rather than later. 

The idea promulgated by some, that it simply okay to accept what have up to now been generally accepted as faults is nonsense.

Wine above everything else needs to be delicious and wine that is badly oxidised or has excessive volatile acidity is simply not. 

Biodynamic Shiraz tendrils reaching for the sky beneath a full moon at Castagna ... photo Philip White

 

Peter Fraser wrote: 

Natural: 

My understanding of natural - maybe we should call it “educated minimalist” - is to enhance and guide natural systems of growing and fermenting. 

If grape juice is allowed to ferment naturally and is left in a complete natural state it will turn to vinegar.

It should start with farming techniques that are without the use of synthetic chemicals, utilizing nature's complex web of biological symbiotic relationships. The educated winemaker with a solid understanding of winemaking principles will pick the grapes when the sugar and acid levels are conducive to a natural fermentation, resulting in a fermentation without analogous faults. We know that lower pH results in an environment which is not conducive to spoilage yeast and bacteria. So if we are to make wines with minimal additions, we must be making the decision of picking predominantly on the pH if we want to have a successful fermentation.

If we are to minimize the amount of sulphur additions we must keep the wine on lees, use more reductive storage vessels and avoid contact with oxygen as much as possible. These wines are also much more suited to early bottling, again to protect the wine from oxidation. 

These types of wines are very sensitive to temperature, both in barrel storage and as finished wines. Spoilage yeast and bacteria thrive in temperatures above 18 degrees celcius. Many natural wines tend to be produced in 'garage' type facilities, and I would hazard a guess that a very large proportion of wine shops and small wine bars have less than desirable storage conditions, especially in summer.

One of the evil enemies of the natural winemaking brethren is filtration. It is the one step that I fail to understand: is it so bad and so un-natural that taking away should be considered as bad as adding? I understand that unfiltered can lead to a fuller or more textured mouthfeel, but at the perils of Brettanomyces or mousiness spoilage? And considering the standard storage on wine as discussed above?

I am very fond of the idealization of minimal intervention in wine and getting back to basics. But our ultimate goal must always to be making wines that people want to drink, that tell a story of their place, maker and variety without the cloud of undifferentiated faults. 

Peter Fraser (cont'd):

Orange: 

Firstly, orange wine is a unique style of wine. I have two experiences of orange wine. The first was being poured 150 ml in a large burgundy glass at super hipster wine bar, and while I found the flavours and texture interesting I struggled to drink more than 30 mls of the glass, and was left looking for the closest pot plant so as not to offend the sommelier. 

The second was with sommelier Laine Kerison of Rococo at Noosa, who poured us all a small glass of Radikon (unfortunately I do not remember the variety or vintage) and paired it with fresh oysters with a vinaigrette dressing. It was a sublime gastronomic experience. It was only recently I realized, that while Laine had excelled as a sommelier in heightening that food and wine experience, these wines are maybe not designed for people sitting at a wine bar slurping big oversized glasses as we customarily do with most wines.

More like sherries and other fortified wines they're designed to be drunk in small amounts as gastronomic experiences. I believe many producers and hipster wine bars are missing this critical point!

But then there is the understanding that orange wines are white wines that have spent some maceration time in contact with the grape skins. This definition I believe falls very short, and needs much better clarification. 

Gerald Asbroek, winery engineer, Jacques Blain and Peter Fraser with Peter's beloved Vaucher Beguet grape sorting machine, which was invented by Jacques and delivers fruit that looks like caviar (below) ... Could it be a natural thing to remove the millipedes, stalks, snails, leaves, earwigs and whatever other critters choose to hide within the bunches? ...  photos Philip White

Peter Fraser (cont'd):

My personal experiences on oxidation and skin contact on white grape varieties: 

As I understand it, orange wines occur when the oxidation of the phenolic compounds in wine start to develop brown hues.

I handle all my white grapes and juice without the use of sulphur. In my experience the oxidation process causes the solid materials (pulp) to turn brown and juices made this way have an orange/brown hue. To the uninitiated this can be a scary sight. At the end of fermentation, orange/brown solid materials are mixed with the dead yeast and act as oxygen scavengers in the vessel, and depending on the wine style are stirred to add further texture and complexity. When these solids are removed from the wine, and sulphur is added, the wine will have a bright green hue and no brown or orange hues exist. However if sulphur had been added while these orange/brown  solids existed in the wine, the sulphur will act to bind this colour permanently into the wine.

Peter Fraser is experimenting with John Ullinger's amphora-shaped fermenters made with clays collected from each of his individual vineyard plots at Yangarra, so the wines are fermented in an approximation of the ground they grew in. Is that natural? ... photo Philip White

In further experience we have been experimenting with Roussanne, applying extended maceration on skins for as long as four months without any use of sulphur. It was my initial expectation that the resulting wines would have an orange hue by the end of this maceration. And yes they did. But what I found supported my theories of my oxidative winemaking without the use of extended skins. When we let the solids settle after the maceration, we racked the clear wine from these solids before sulphuring the wine, ending up with some yellow hues (maybe the stage before orange), and while we still retained some of the green hues, the wine was not orange.

It is my belief that we can attain texture and structure in white wine with the measured and timely use of sulphur, leading to the preservation of freshness and the greater potential for longevity without the possibilities of negative binding of oxidative compounds.

So skin maceration doesn’t necessarily mean that the wine will be orange, but orange can be attained.

Orange is not necessarily bad, but maybe we just need to think more about how it is presented and consumed.

The author in The Exeter with South Gippsland winemaker Phillip Jones, who made the first highly-regarded unfiltered and cloudy reds to cross this desk. While Jones doggedly refuses to pursue certification, DRINKSTER thinks these Bass Phillip Pinots noir have improved greatly since Jones turned his vineyard management biodynamic eight years back. So is a cloudy unfiltered biodynamic Bass Phillip Pinot orange? Natural? What's natural about a tractor, a stainless steel tank, or a bottle? ... photo Milton Wordley   

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