Pét-Nat is the New Summer Water-
Call them renegade, unorthodox, unwieldy…just don’t call them predictable! Pét-nats are akin to the anti-establishment in wine terms. They (the wine and often, their wine-makers) are raw, honest, and humble in the best kind of way, and that’s part of what makes them so enticing. They throw caution to the wind in a quest for something surprising, vibrant and far from predictable and pretentious. The refreshing, spontaneous style, low alcohol levels and food friendliness is just the thing for summer.
Pétillant-naturel, or affectionately shortened to ‘Pét-nat’, is essentially bubbles without pretense and translates from French to ‘naturally sparkling’ . Pét-nat is not a style of wine (The term Pét-nat itself was first used in the 1990s by winemakers in France’s Loire Valley as a playful name for these wines and their growing importance to the burgeoning natural wine movement), but a method of wine-making called “Method Ancestral”.
Wine is made when yeasts in the juice of freshly pressed wine grapes feed on sugars in the grapes to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide (the same carbon dioxide found in beer, and soda), along with flavor. For still wines, the CO2 escapes into the air, but with the production of Pét-nat, when the yeast has eaten most of the sugars towards the end of fermentation, the winemaker traps that remaining carbon dioxide inside the bottle of wine. That carbon dioxide gas becomes suspended as bubbles and boom, you have a rustic sparkling wine. By contrast, Champagne is made in the ‘Méthode Traditionelle’, which starts with a finished still wine, and then adds new yeast and sugar to bottled wines for a second fermentation. For wines made in the ‘Methode Ancestrale’, how a winemaker decides when to bottle the wine, and whether the yeast should be filtered out or left in the bottle, can result in a dizzying array of flavors, aromas and textures. These decisions on method can yield wines that are rich, bready, complex and dry, or simple, slightly sweet and fruity, sharing bright, refreshing characteristics and gentle bubbles. Colors can range widely as well, then add to the fact that the yeast remains inside the bottle and some can take on the look of a science experiment, and in a certain way, it is!
Not all Pét-Nats are left cloudy. Some that are disgorged (dead yeasts removed) and filtered, emulating the look more reminiscent of a traditional sparkling wine. At Oyster River Winegrowers in Warren, Maine, owner and winemaker Brian Smith, who also makes cider, takes advantage of the state’s cool climate to let his Pét-nat ferment slowly in his naturally cool cellar. His Morphos rosé Pét nat transforms Long Island grown Merlot grapes into a rich and fruity wine sparkler that’s complex and elegant.
Matteo Furlani tends to tiny parcels of high altitude vines overlooking the city of Trento in Italy’s Alto Adige region and favors local varieties of grapes for his sparklers. His 100% Pinot Grigio Pét-nat ‘Macerato’ is stunning, with bright pink grapefruit tones and a pithy finish that’s smooth and crisp. No added sulfur and no disgorgement. His Pinot noir Pét-Nat ‘Rosato’ is magical. Ripe strawberry and cherry tones, deep and pure while maintaining a fun, fresh side!
The Takeaway- Pét-nats are supposed to be FUN! They are fresh, naturally sparkling and fruity wines made by conscientious wine-makers that are world’s more affordable than Champagne. They are meant for drinking young, and come in a rainbow of colors and styles, from casual to complex. They are an irresistible warm weather beverage option when enjoying the moment is top priority. Happily, Pét-nats are great paired with all kinds of foods; cheeses, salami, sushi, antipasti as well as being relatively low in alcohol, they make the perfect aperitif or beverage option for day-time occasions.
Cheers!- Leah Mojer, Beverage Manager, Bartlett’s Farm
Tips for Serving Pét-nats!
While all sparkling wine should be served cold—both for the best flavor and to keep the bubbles suspended in the wine—the wilder, less-filtered styles are especially demanding. Inside, pressure from the carbonation and differences in temperature and liquid, gas, and solid densities can build up for a volatile combination. Keep your bottles standing upright for safety and never shake a bottle first, you could lose the entire bottle to endless foaming due to the presence of yeast.
Steer clear of champagne flutes- these glasses just be retired permanently. Choose a glass with a wide bottom (a regular wine glass or whiskey tumbler are far better choices) so you can really get your nose into the glass and let the aromas of the flora and fauna that’s been bottled up unfold with air! YUM!
Sources-
Pét-Nat Is the New Rosé
Pétillant-naturels are light, bright, and spritzy, by Susan H. Gordon Apr 14, 2016