Intro to Pét-nat

Pétillant-naturel or also called Pét-nat for short is a type of sparkling wine made through an ancestral method of winemaking called méthode ancestrale. The traditional method used for champagne called méthode champenoise adds sugar and yeast to fermented still wine to kick start a secondary fermentation creating the classic bubbles that sparkling wine is known for. Pét-nat contrastingly works by bottling wine that is partially fermented, typically without disgorgement.

As the primary fermentation continues in the bottle, the resulting carbon dioxide is trapped, the gas is absorbed into the wine as bubbles and the sparkling wine is ready to drink much sooner than wine made from the traditional method.

Although pét-nat seems to be a simpler method on the surface, it comes with its own challenges of keeping the potentially volatile bottles tame and consistent. Pét-nat has an element of unpredictability that makes it fun to make and drink! That POP is reflected in our label design for our Ancestral sparkling wines. Our Pétillant-Naturel and Pique Me Piquette.