Orange Beard

Frey Vineyards is releasing our first orange wine this Fall, and we’re calling it “Orange Beard” to celebrate the orange that several Frey men have in their beards. For those of you who aren’t familiar with orange wines, they performs alchemical magic by fermenting white grapes on the skins, stems, and seeds of the grapes. Much like the process of fermenting red wine, skin-contact wines or orange wines possess the texture and tannins common to red wine, and the grape skins impart a deeper, naturally occurring orange/amber hue.

The initial label sketch for the Orange Beard label evolved on a late night in a tiny candle-lit wine bar in Barcelona, surrounded by artists, adventurers, sailors, and revolutionaries, and pays tribute to the WWII-era doodle/meme, “Kilroy was here.” Kudos to our label designer Nicole Martenson for her wonderful graphics for Frey Vineyards!

Orange Beard Winemaking

Because orange wines are produced by contact with the skins and seeds of white wine grapes, they have some of the body of red wines, with their dry tannin quality coming from the contact. Their colors reflect a beautiful translucency with amber sunset hues.

Orange Wine History

Orange wines have been produced in the Caucasas region (in Eastern Europe, particularly in the area that is now Georgia) for several thousand years. From there, the orange wines spread to Italy and Slovenia, where the orange winemaking process is still popular today.

Food Pairings

Because of its distinctive flavor, orange wine pairs well with Asian and African dishes. Uniquely, spicy dishes compliment Orange Beard very well as well. This fragrant amber-colored wine opens with aromas of nectarine and graphite. A weighty texture and vibrant mouthfeel show on the midpalate, carrying flavors of Seville orange peel, dried apricot, wet stone, and fleur de sel. The savory and mineral qualities finish with a pop of saffron and rich marzipan. This would be a top pairing for cozy dishes like chestnut soup or risotto.

Cheeses

The tannins and acidity in orange wine complement the creaminess of soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, and the nutty flavors of aged and hard cheeses like Gouda, Comté, or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Blue cheeses like Roquefort or Stilton also pair well with orange wine.

Spices

Orange wine pairs well with Moroccan dishes with cumin, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, and saffron spices. The sourness in orange wine also matches well against fermented flavors like kimchi in Korean dishes and nattō in Japanese food.

Serving Tips

Like white wines, Orange Beard likes to be chilled before serving. Uncork the organic, and explore the world of orange wine!

Orange Beard Contest TBA

It’s not every day you add an orange wine to your wine shop, and in celebration, we want to make the most of this new wine offering! As part of our playful introduction of the Orange Beard to the Frey Vineyards line of Organic wines, we have decided to run a contest in 2025 to find the best orange beards out there! In the spirit of fun, we will be running the contest for anyone (age 21+ folks) who wants to show off their orange beard (authentically grown or crafted from orange materials) to participate. So, whether you are sporting a genuine orange beard or create one to showcase for the contest, we are excited to receive entries next year. Stay tuned here at freywine.com and on our social media pages for all the contest details TBA!