Pet Nat (short for Petillant Naturel) is a French term that roughly translates to ‘naturally sparkling’. Similarly to orange wine, Pet Nat is going through a bit of a renaissance at the moment and its cult like following and links to Natural winemaking have led to it often being written off as a passing trend, and earning by some, the nickname ‘Hipster juice’.
With its funky labels, hipster connotations and instantly recognisable crown caps you may be fooled into thinking that Pet Nat is nothing more than the popular new kid on the block – however, you might want to think again, as technically its actually the oldest method of making sparkling wine – one which even predates Champagne!
Petillant Naturel is produced using the ‘methode ancestral’ way, which can be traced as far back as 1531 to Limoux in Southwestern France with a wine called ‘Blanquette de Limoux’. Long story short, to produce wines in the ‘ancestral method’ you bottle them before they fully complete their first fermentation. Carbon dioxide is naturally produced by the sugars emitted from the still fermenting yeast trapped within the bottle (which is what gives many Pet Nats it’s signature sediment/haze). This differs from Champagne, where the wine undergoes a second fermentation in which yeast and sugar are added back into the bottle (liqueur de tirage) before being disgorged (where the sediment is removed by inverting the bottles and freezing the neck.)
Pet Nats lack of filtration and hands off approach of letting nature take its course is perhaps why it’s seen such a resurgence within the ‘Natural’ wine movement. It’s about as low intervention as you can get! Its openness for experimentation might also be a draw. After all, the natural wine movement is famous for its ‘punk’ mentality and desire to break away from the ‘conventional’ wine rule book. Petillant Natural may also be a draw for smaller producers, seeing as it doesn’t require the same expensive equipment that more traditional method bottlings do, it’s accessible to all. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that its hands off approach means it’s simple to produce, it’s actually a pretty skillfull process. Bottle the liquid too early and you risk a blow out, the residual sugar leading to excess pressure. Bottle too late and the yeast will have won, too much sugar will have been consumed resulting in no fizz.
Pet Nat doesn’t have as strict a regulation as something like Champagne, it’s not set to any particular appellation, meaning it can be made pretty much anywhere using pretty much any grape! This flings the doors wide open for creativity and innovation, the only restrictions being that of the winemakers imagination and vision.
One could argue that Pet Nat is much simpler and more rustic than Champagne, however perhaps therein lies its charm. It’s unpredictable, wild and untamed. Each bottle is entirely unique, and that’s what makes it fun.
Unlike Champagne, Pet Nats are designed to be enjoyed young. As they only undergo the singular fermentation they’re usually much lower in alcohol (around 10-12% ABV) and have a much gentler fizz, making them the ideal aperitif. It’s worth noting that they also don’t carry the same hefty price tag as many Champagnes, so they’re a much more affordable fizz option that doesn’t warrant the same ‘special occasion’ to crack it open. Their fun, fruity nature, low ABV and soft fizz also make them the ideal Summer afternoon sipper.
I’ve selected a few of the more recent additions to the shelves of D. Byrne & Co, and, with a real mix in country, grape and ‘funkiness’ there should be something to suit just about everyone.
