Double double toil and trouble – what makes this natty wine bubble?
Champagne, oh, glorious champagne. With its sexy and enticing bubbles, this magical liquid can elevate any event with its celebratory sensations. Cremant, cava, sparkling wine from all over the world is lusted after, even prized as the pop of the cork rings in an indescribable sense of joy. But today, we’re going to celebrate the wild, unpolished, even rogue cousin to these illustrious sparklers – pétillant natural – Pet Nat. Natty wine.
Let’s not confuse pétillant with petulant (forgive me if my auto-correct keeps overriding me!) as this sparkler is anything but sulky. It can be a bit wild and unruly however! But this is part of its charm. What’s natty wine? Bottom line, Pet Nat’s light sparkle is made in an ancient process where wine is bottled before the fermentation process completes. The yeast versus sugar battle continues in a capped bottle (think beer cap) where carbon dioxide resulting from the mad scientist chemistry experiment remains trapped within the bottle. Simple, right? No way! If bottled too early, CO2 levels can be extreme causing minor explosions upon opening. Too late and the lack of bubbles makes for a flat, dull wine.
The winemaking process of Pet Nats, Ancient Method, is about as descriptive as it gets. Historic records indicate this style of natty wine has been made for centuries. Unlike many other wines, defining Pet Nat, regulating Pet Nat or boxing Pet Nat into a specific style, flavor, or event dictating which varietals can be used in Pet Nats has been left to the winemakers whims and imagination. FANTASTIC I say!
Left to their own devices, natty wine (like humans) becomes unruly, wild, even rebellious!
Work with me here. I know it’s in our nature to minimize unpredictability, chaos and madness in our lives. I encourage you to go against every fiber of your being when it comes to Pet Nat. Embrace it for being rustic, wild, expressive, playful and fun. In DOMSOM’s wine education course, we define a white wine style or category as “Funky and Floral”. Pet Nat can be made from white or red wine. I’d say it’s the epitome of a the Funky and Floral style of wine regardless of color!
With minimal rules and regulations governing the production of Pet Nat, nearly anything goes. Any varietal can be used, there is no minimum or maximum level of alcohol to be achieved. Pet Nat is notoriously lower in alcohol which is another bonus! Because the winemaker looses control of this wild child once bottled, the result cannot be predicted. The level only exposes itself when the first cap is released. Often unfiltered, resulting in a hazy, cloudy liquid, this juice is anything but snobby and refined.
Quick Tip: Offended by a bit of funk in your wine? I learned a trick from Wine Scribes (https://thewinescribes.com/pet-nat-trendy-or-here-to-stay/) on how to “filter” Pet Nat at home. Haven’t tried it myself so if you do try this, please comment on how it worked!!!
Natty wine – a trend, or here to stay?
Many on the front line of wine trends might pooh-pooh the fact I’m covering Pet Nats in 2022. This isn’t new, this isn’t the latest trend, heck, this is old news so apparently I’m oblivious to all things current and trendy. They obviously didn’t read my first 2022 blog! I’m intentionally covering past trends to see if they’re surviving the test of time or not. Pet Nat, in my opinion is a success story and will be here to stay!
Shhhh….. can you keep a secret? I’ve delayed the launch of this post by an hour so I can share a little test I’m giving to a group of wine lovers tonight. I’ve put together a tasting challenge including a Cab Franc Pet Nat, a rosé of Cab Franc and a traditional Cab Franc. These are all wines from Benmarl Winery in Hudson Valley, NY and its “sister” winery, Fjord Vineyards. Why, you ask? One of my favorite aspects of wine is how completely different a single varietal can translate into different wine making styles! In a recent visit to Valley Mills Vineyard in Texas, I made a point of tasting their classic Albariño against their newest release – an Albariño Pet Nat and it was magical! This is going to be so fun! I highly recommend trying it yourself!
The bottom line on natty wine
Every family has their wild child, the one who pushes the boundaries of decorum, who enters the room in a swirling dervish and can entertain any crowd with their spunk, Joie de vivre and insatiable quest for fun. This, my friends, is Pet Nat. If you haven’t yet bought into the trend, do so. NOW! J If you’ve tried and didn’t buy into the trend, its never too late to try again! Salud! Santé! Sköld! Cheers!
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To purchase the Pet Nats mentioned in this blog, go to www.Benmarl.com, www.fjord vineyard.com or www.valleymillsvineyards.com and put a few bottles into your shopping cart today!
