ORANGE YOU GLAD I SAID WHADDUP B*TCH? 3 SKIN CONTACT WINES YOU NEED TO BUY ASAP FOR THE ULTIMATE HOT GURL SUMMER.

WHAT ARE ORANGE/EXTENDED SKIN CONTACT WINES?

Mmmmm… Skin Contact…. Sounds a little dirty, doesn’t it?

But seriously, another term for Orange Wines is legitimately “Skin Contact.”

Skin Contact/Orange Wine is made the same way as Rosé. Pardon my wine-splaining but for those already in the know, but Orange Wine gets that coppery coloring because grapes have to sit on their skins, hence the term, “Skin Contact.”

Try explaining that shit to a drunk person (it’s really fun, I had to do it the other day.) I guarantee you they will make dirty jokes about all that "skin contact” shit. In fact, I’d lay money on it, so start DMing me and we can come up with some sort of payment plan.

Anyway, without further ado, peep some of my picks featuring 5 Orange Wines I’ve been crushing hardcore on.

PHEASANT’S TEARS RKATSITELI AMBER WINE $18.99 @ K&L

First off, is this wine’s name legitimately not the most epic shit you’ve ever heard in your life? Pheasant’s Tears? Like, just purchasing a bottle of the stuff and saying to my husband, “Hey baby I’m going to pour myself a glass of Pheasant’s Tears", made me feel like Aleksander Skarsgård in The Northman or some shit.

It’s epic name aside, this Georgian Amber Wine is probably one of the best value wines I’ve had ALL YEAR. I could not fathom it was under $20.00. The tannins in this wine are MASSIVE, and that means it can age beautifully. You could cellar this puppy for probably five years and it would hang. I had it open for about a week, and the wine still was beautifully expressive after several days.

Picture aromas of black tea, delicate apricot skin, and a chalky mineral core. This wine is not super acidic at all, and is very peachy. If you love your Pinot Gris, you will love this almost honeyed wine. Peach tea goodness aplenty!

HOLLOW WINES SUNSET ORANGE $24.00 @ Stanley’s Wet Goods

Sometimes, you just want a wine that tastes like Summer. The Hollow Wines Sunset Orange is exactly that. 100% extended skin contact Chardonnay with zero added sulfur, this lively little yellow wine tastes like electric lemonade with a touch of sea salt and aromas of Temescal Canyon Eucalyptus.

The vines for this wine are sourced from Monterrey, and this family-owned winery is run by Alison, Quinn and Mina Hobbs. The Hobbs family is all about minimal intervention winemaking, and they never add more than 40 ppm SO2.

As an Orange, this tilts towards the higher acid, bright, and salty end of the spectrum. It’s definitely not as tannic as the Georgian Orange, but will definitely quench your thirst on hot Summer days. The Sunset Orange is high acid and tart, making it the perfect wine to cut through fattier, creamier foods, like cheeses and such. Honestly? It would be great enjoyed on its own by the pool.

MERSEL LEBNANI ABYAD ORANGE 1L $25.00 @ Stanley’s Wet Goods

This crowd-pleasing Orange is a blend of 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 70% Old Vine Merwah from high elevation vineyards in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. For those unfamiliar, Merwah is a white grape indigenous to the region, and is very close to Semillon. Merwah is super weighty, and has that same, mouth-coating texture that Semillon has.

It was made without any added sulfur and crafted with exclusively organic fruit. The wine comes in a 1 liter format, making it the ultimate party friendly Orange. It’s super light, and on the spectrum, this would be the lightest orange out of the entire lineup. Folks who love high acid white wines like Soave or Assyrtiko would really like this wine, as it’s got that crispness except has just a little bit of “oomph” from the 26 days of extended skin contact.

Picture aromas of ripe Meyer lemons, jasmine, saline and just a little bit of really slate-y mineral. This wine is super crisp and refreshing and is the ultimate way to beat the Summer heat. A true beaut! Be sure to bring to parties, especially if you want to be that cool friend who introduces your homies to Orange Wine. This wine epitomizes what it means to be a Thurstqueen. If you open your mind to underrepresented regions, you can find some truly beautiful, high quality wines - that will be easy on your wallet as well.