Gernot Heinrich Naked Orange N.V. Organic, 0,75 L

Orange wine can sometimes be quite challenging. This one from the top-class Heinrich winery shows that there’s another way: open, juicy, slightly wild, yet so approachable that you don’t need to read a wine encyclopaedia before taking your first sip.

In the glass, the wine displays a delicate amber to salmon-orange hue. On the nose, notes of quince, orange peel, blood orange, a hint of ginger and subtle herbs emerge. On the palate, it remains fresh and lively, with juicy fruit, a slight tart note and precisely that little bit of bite that makes orange wine so exciting. Not loud, not unwieldy, but invigorating and thoroughly enjoyable to drink.

The grapes come from both sides of Lake Neusiedl: from the Leitha Mountains, with their limestone and slate soils, and from the Parndorf Plateau, with its gravelly, calcareous soils. The cuvée, made from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Traminer, Muscat Ottonel and Pinot Gris, is fermented spontaneously, remains partly on the skins, matures in amphorae and large wooden barrels, and is bottled unfiltered.

Naked Orange pairs really well with oven-roasted vegetables, hummus, falafel, spicy Asian dishes or even pan-fried fish. A wine for anyone who’s curious but doesn’t fancy anything too complicated.