🍷 Pét-nat

Pét-nat (short for the French pétillant naturel, “natural sparkling”) is a sparkling wine bottled before the first fermentation has finished. The bubbles form right in the bottle: the remaining sugars finish fermenting and release carbon dioxide. It is the simplest and oldest way of making a sparkling wine.

This technique is called the ancestral method. No second addition of sugar and yeast is made; the wine is simply bottled earlier. The bottle is usually closed with a crown cap, like a beer bottle. The yeast sediment stays inside, so the wine can be cloudy. It is not always filtered.

Pét-nat tastes fresh and yeasty, with apple and citrus notes, light bubbles and modest strength, sometimes with a sharp note. Every batch differs slightly. Pét-nat is loved by natural wine producers.

Pét-nat is made in France, especially in the Loire, in Italy, where similar wines are called col fondo, and in many countries. It is close to semi-sparkling wine, to pétillant, and to the wine Blanquette de Limoux. It is best served chilled. Alcohol is for adults.