BLOG

What is orange wine?

Orange wine has become a bit of an obsession here at Field Recordings (and not just because it’s our brand color). Our signature skin contact orange wine, fittingly named SKINS, unexpectedly became one of our flagship bottles after its first vintage in 2016. Now, you might find dedicated skin contact wine lists at trendy wine bars everywhere. But what’s so special about orange wine, anyway? Let’s get into it.

OUR FAVORITE ORANGE WINES.

(we might be biased)

  • PINNACLES

    Boxed wine that’s actually good. To make Boxie, we use a blend of 45% Gewurztraminer, 40% Chardonnay, 10% Melon, and 5% Pinot Gris. The grapes go through open top and bin fermentation for 30-60 days of skin contact, pumped over or punched down daily. 

    TASTES LIKE
    Trolli Peach Rings, cantaloupe, apricots, hint of green tea and white pepper

    PAIRS WITH
    Beach days. hotdogs, chips, dips or maybe just a big sack of Taco Bell you grabbed on your way out

    SHOP

  • DOMO ARIGATO (MR. RAMATO)

    While some of our Pinot Gris goes toward our signature Skins blend, we stash away a special selection of barrels to create Domo Arigato. To make this Ramato-style wine, we keep the grapes on skins for about 3 weeks.

    TASTING NOTES
    Fresh pears along with apricot preserves sprinkled with white pepper

    PAIRS WITH
    Porchetta sandwiches, charcuterie boards and Catalina Island roof top decks

    SHOP

  • SKINS

    Our signature SKINS cuvee uses a blend of white grapes, which we destem and ferment on skins for 23 to 46 days before pressing to neutral barrels (aged about 4 months). Our 2023 blend uses 34% Chenin Blanc, 18% Pinot Gris, 12% Colombard, 9% Xarel.lo, 8% Verdelho, 6% Vermentino, 3% Trousseau Gris, 3% Semillon, 3% Gewurztraminer, 2% Riesling, and 2% Malvasia Bianca

    TASTING NOTES
    Fresh apricot, white peach, Haitian orange, honeysuckle, marzipan

    PAIRS WITH
    Bleu cheese, duck sausage, dried fruit

    SHOP
SHOP ALL

How is orange wine made?

We make orange wine by letting the grapes ferment on their skins. As our winemaker Andrew Jones says, 85% of a wine’s flavor comes from the outside 15% of the grape, so we source, harvest, and pick fruit based on the quality of their skins. Once those bins get to our cellar, we destem the grapes and allow them to rest on their skins and seeds, anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

BIG ASS FANS

Word on the street

We don’t like to brag, but we have lots of fans… specifically Big Ass Fans. Visit them in our tasting room here.

If you’d like to see some words from our human fans, keep scrollin’.

SKINS 2023

Our signature SKINS cuvee uses a blend of white grapes, which we destem and ferment on skins for 23 to 46 days before pressing to neutral barrels (aged about 4 months). Our 2023 blend uses 34% Chenin Blanc, 18% Pinot Gris, 12% Colombard, 9% Xarel.lo, 8% Verdelho, 6% Vermentino, 3% Trousseau Gris, 3% Semillon, 3% Gewurztraminer, 2% Riesling, and 2% Malvasia Bianca

TASTING NOTES
Fresh apricot, white peach, Haitian orange, honeysuckle, marzipan

PAIRS WITH
Bleu cheese, duck sausage, dried fruit

SKINS 2023

While some of our Pinot Gris goes toward our signature Skins blend, we stash away a special selection of barrels to create Domo Arigato. To make this Ramato-style wine, we keep the grapes on skins for about 3 weeks.

TASTING NOTES
Fresh pears along with apricot preserves sprinkled with white pepper

PAIRS WITH
Porchetta sandwiches, charcuterie boards and Catalina Island roof top decks

20 WINES UNDER $20

“It’s easygoing, spicy and juicy, another good wine for cookouts, whether in backyards, roofs or parks.”

-New York Times

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

“The duality of [Andrew Jones’] roles has put him at the forefront of nearly every recent trend in Californian winemaking, from putting wines in can, natural techniques, lesser-known varieties, skin-contact, pét-nats and much more.”

-Wine Enthusiast