van Nahmen Fruit Secco Apple Quince. Non-alcoholic organic fruit secco made from quince and apple juice – dry, crisp, and finely sparkling.

van Nahmen Fruit Secco Apple Quince is a sparkling organic fruit secco from the van Nahmen fruit press house in Hamminkeln in the Lower Rhine region. It consists of quince juice, apple juice, and carbon dioxide, contains 0% alcohol according to the manufacturer, and comes in a 0.75l sparkling wine bottle. Not a sparkling wine, not an apple soda – a dry aperitif made from pure juice.

Fruit Secco Apple Quince by van Nahmen is called "Frucht-Secco Apfel-Quitte Bio" (Organic Fruit Secco Apple Quince) by the manufacturer. Behind the name lies a cuvée of two direct juices, which only becomes a secco through the added carbon dioxide. The word "Secco" is Italian and means dry, which fits this variety particularly well. According to the manufacturer's FAQ, the press house does not add any sugar or water either; there is nothing in the glass but fruit. It is bottled in sparkling wine bottles because van Nahmen explicitly sees this secco as an alternative to sparkling wine. Hardly anyone bites into a raw quince; it is hard and tart. It is precisely this tartness that makes it so valuable in juice: together with the apple, it results in a glass that tastes dry and yet entirely like fruit.

Taste

The Fruit Secco Apple Quince tastes dry and fruity, with the tart acidity of the quince and the sweet freshness of the apple. It glows golden yellow in the glass, with fine bubbles rising. The nose reveals autumn apples and lemon zest, with a hint of candied ginger behind them. With a little air, quiet notes of jasmine and mint emerge, as described in the manufacturer's tasting notes.

On the palate, the quince takes over first. It brings acidity and a pleasant tartness reminiscent of the fruit's skin. The apple provides a delicate sweetness underneath and makes the whole thing juicy. The carbonation carries both; it feels fresh rather than harsh. In the finish, the secco remains dry and tart, with the sweetness fading away early. The manufacturer summarizes the profile in two terms: delicate sweetness and crisp tartness.

Among van Nahmen's four fruit seccos, this is, according to the manufacturer, the variety for those who prefer it tarter and drier. Anyone expecting a juicy, sweet fruit soda will find it too intense. For everyone else, it plays a similar role at the table as a dry sparkling wine, just with fruit as the foundation.

Usage

Drink the secco well chilled at 8 to 10 °C (46–50 °F), preferably from a sparkling wine glass. As an aperitif, it opens the evening, and it replaces sparkling wine for toasts. According to the manufacturer, it also pairs well with crustaceans and seafood. Fried shrimp with garlic and parsley are a good example, as is a crab sandwich or a salad with crayfish. The quince acidity acts like a squeeze of lemon over the plate here.

The second stage is the sweet side of the meal. Van Nahmen recommends the secco with fruits and desserts; the tasting note mentions the coffee table with fruit cake and moderately sweet desserts. An apple pie with shortcrust pastry, a plum sheet cake, or a quark cream with stewed pears go well with it. The tart finish clears the palate after every bite. This way, one bottle can accompany an entire non-alcoholic menu: first the shrimp as an appetizer, later the cake with coffee. Thus, a single variety in the fridge is enough for the whole evening.

It is also suitable for Sunday brunch, alongside fruit salad, scrambled eggs, and fresh bread. Keep an opened bottle back in the fridge. According to the manufacturer, consume it within five days.

Our tip: Bake a covered apple pie in the autumn and place chilled sparkling wine glasses filled with Apple Quince on the coffee table. Apple in the cake, apple in the glass – and the quince ensures it doesn't get too sweet.

Origin

The apple was at the very beginning of the van Nahmen fruit press house. In 1917, Wilhelm van Nahmen founded the "Rheinische Apfelkrautfabrik" (Rhenish Apple Butter Factory) in Hamminkeln and cooked apple and beet syrup during the famine at the end of the First World War. Juice production was added from 1930 onwards under his son of the same name. In 1990, Rainer van Nahmen took over the management. In 2005, Dr. Peter van Nahmen joined the management; today he runs the press house together with his wife, Sabine.

The press house states that it preferably works with fruit from old meadow orchards in the Lower Rhine and Münsterland regions. They press all local fruit themselves. In such orchards, high-trunk trees are loosely distributed in the grassland, often for decades. According to van Nahmen, there are over 200 old fruit varieties in the Lower Rhine region alone, and the press house is committed to their preservation. Since 2007, single-variety juices have been at the core of the range, and these direct juices are also used to create the fruit seccos. Van Nahmen defines the blend anew each year, using selected fruit varieties from that specific vintage.

For the Apple Quince, the press house uses quince and apple juice from controlled organic cultivation. The organic inspection body is DE-ÖKO-007, and the EU organic logo is on the bottle. According to the manufacturer, the secco is also vegan.

For whom

The Apple Quince Secco is for everyone looking for a dry, sophisticated glass for toasting while abstaining from alcohol. It fits weddings, confirmations, and milestone birthdays, as well as Sunday brunch and festive meals with seafood. It also works well on New Year's Eve alongside sparkling wine bottles when everyone raises their glasses at midnight. As a host, place it next to the sparkling wine so every guest has something suitable in their glass. As a gift, it is a great choice for people who enjoy cooking and would otherwise open white wine. The Grape Fruit Secco is fruitier and a bit sweeter. You can find the quince as a still nectar in the Constantinople Apple Quince Nectar. All the press house's bottles are available on our van Nahmen page. This secco is not suitable as a sweet thirst-quencher for children – it is too dry and tart for that.

Quince and apple, sparkling and dry – the non-alcoholic organic fruit secco from Hamminkeln for the first toast and the coffee table.