# Les Astronautes Orange (NV)

- **Producer:** Les Astronautes
- **Colour:** orange
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Malvasia
- **Region:** Castilla y León, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €18
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apricot, peach, orange, blossom, ginger, fennel, bread, biscuit, dried apricot, marmalade, honey, almond

## About this wine

Les Astronautes is a micro-winery project founded by Emmanuelle Haas and Fredy Mestre, a Franco-Argentinian couple who settled in the historic region of Toro, Spain. Driven by a passion for low-intervention winemaking, they seek to express the unique terroirs of Castilla y León through organic farming and natural cellar practices. This orange wine, crafted from the aromatic Malvasia grape, represents their adventurous spirit—hence the name 'Les Astronautes'—exploring the boundaries of traditional Toro winemaking by reviving skin-contact methods.

## Interesting facts

- Created by a Franco-Argentinian couple who brought a fresh, low-intervention perspective to the traditional region of Toro.
- The name 'Les Astronautes' reflects the winemakers' desire to explore new, uncharted territories in Spanish winemaking.
- This orange wine is made from Malvasia, a grape highly prized for its aromatic intensity, enhanced here by skin maceration.

## Food pairing

The skin-contact maceration gives this orange wine a unique structural bridge between white and red wines. Its light tannins, vibrant acidity, and intense aromatic profile allow it to pair beautifully with rich, spiced, or slightly fatty dishes. It cuts through the richness of pork belly and duck, while its exotic fruit notes complement aromatic spices like cumin, ginger, and saffron found in tagines and curries.

## Wine making process

The grapes are harvested by hand from organically farmed vineyards in Toro. In the cellar, the Malvasia grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The defining feature of this wine is its skin-contact maceration, where the juice remains in contact with the grape skins for several days to weeks, extracting color, structure, and complex aromatics. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal to no added sulfur, preserving its natural energy and raw character.