WTF is Pét-Nat? (Fun, Funky, Natural Sparkling Wine)

Show Notes

Episode 92: WTF is Pét-Nat?  00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

Ok, a quick orientation for those of you who may be new to the podcast - in each episode we learn about, taste and give our completely honest review of three wines that are reasonably priced - meaning under $20 each -  and should be easy for you to find. And our podcast is made for people who want to learn more about wine, find new wines to enjoy, and just want someone to talk about wine in a fun way that normal people can understand. So, if that sounds like you, you are in the right place! And we are proud to say that we have been featured recently in The Mercury News and we are recommended by the editors of Decanter Magazine who call us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining.

A shout out to Rachel who reached out to us via email!

Carmela, I feel like it’s been a while since we have had a sparkling wine. Not just in this podcast, but in general. For those of you out there in listening land who do not know this, Carmela and I are nuts about sparkling wines. 

And, you’re probably getting sick of hearing this from us, but we will say again, don’t call them champagne. Unless they really are champagne, but that is a whole different story.

So, we are back to one of our beloved WTF episodes, where we edumacate ourselves and, but association, all of you out there about some new or different wine, and for this WTF episode, we are asking the question, What the Fuck is Pét-Nat?

Some of you may be wondering what Pét-Nat is because you just frankly have never even heard the term before, and this is totally fine. Others of you may have heard of Pét-Nat but were just afraid to try it. 

Well, today we are going to try and remove your fear of Pét-Nat by exploring what exactly it is, and we are going to try three reasonably priced Pét-Nats that should be easy for you to find so we can see if we can help you discover something new that you just might love. And, afterall, isn’t that what our WTF episodes are all about?!? 

Now, I am trying to remember the first time I even heard of Pét-Nat. I know one of the first, if not the first Pét-Nats we tried was actually when we went to Chelan several years ago. For those of you who do not know Washington State, in the middle of the state is a lake and a small town called Chelan which is on a lake called Lake Chelan, go figure, and the area is actually high desert, so it is hot during the summer, and the lake is mountain fed and so it is super cold. And in and around Lake Chelan there are now a whole bunch of vineyards and wineries where there used to be apple orchards.

I remember we went to a winery called Hard Row to Hoe in Chelan, and we went into their little tasting room right off the highway from Chelan to Manson. I think there was like one other person in the tasting room other than the host behind the bar, and they convinced us to try their Pét-Nat. First, I was totally confused about what a Pét-Nat even was. Second, it was a little on the pricey side for us - I think it was $40 or $45 or so - and so I was not completely sure I even wanted to try it because, hey, I am cheap, and I like to find inexpensive wines - hence our podcast, and reasonably priced wines and all that. 

But I remember taking it back to our room at Campbell's Resort, popping it in the fridge, and then opening it up and tasting it, and thinking, wow, this is amazing.

I actually went back to the Hard Row to Hoe website as I was writing this episode to see if I could find their Pét-Nat, and I didn’t even see it, although Wine Enthusiast gave their 2018 Pét-Nat, which may have been the one we tried, a 90 rating. Which is not only a high rating, but unusual that a wine from the Chelan area even gets reviewed in a major wine publication. So I wonder why they are not making it any more.

As a little hint on what a Pét-Nat is, the wine from Hard Row to How was called Hard Row To Hoe 2018 Au Naturel Pet-Nat Rosé, so the hint is that it is called Au Naturel. Which means - natural, or without intervention. We probably mostly hear it used in English as meaning naked. Oooh.

But I digress. 

I think we should get into just what this Pét-Nat thing really is, because the sooner we do that, the sooner we can get to drinking the three Pét-Nat wines we have for today, which by the way come from three different countries and should be delicious and are definitely cold because they have been sitting in the fridge for days. . .

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug.

First, we want to thank you for listening to us and for supporting our show, and if you have not had the chance to do so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast  - it is a free way to support us, and then you never have to miss a show!  - and a huge thank you to all of you who have subscribed already! 

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You can also follow us and see pictures of the wines we are tasting and trying today on Instagram  at thewinepairpodcast, you can also follow us on Threads and you can contact us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com, and you can sign up for our email newsletter there and get news and food and wine pairing ideas and more! And you can reach to us like Rachel did via joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should tell about The Wine Pair Podcast. This week, we want you to tell anyone you know who loves sparkling wine, or who likes to be Au Naturel - or naked - for whatever reason. Just send them this episode, and tell them to keep their pants on.


ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/hard-row-to-hoe-2018-au-naturel-pet-nat-rose-lake-chelan/

Topic: WTF is Pét-Nat? 10:04

Ok, Carmela, let’s talk about just what the F Pét-Nat is. 

First, I’ll just start by saying that Pét-Nat is a style of sparkling wine, and like any sparkling wine, the taste of the sparkling wine is going to be very dependent on the types of grapes that are used, and the talent of the winemaker. So, in as much as sparkling wine is a style of wine and not a varietal or a specific wine, Pét-Nat is a further style of sparkling wine. 

Pét-Nat is actually short for the French term 'pétillant naturel' which means simply “natural sparkling” in French. And Pét-Nat is actually a very old style or way of making sparkling wine called méthode ancestrale. From an article that I got online from Decanter that you can find a link to in our show notes if you go to our website, and click on this episode, and then scroll down to the show notes, the Pét-Nat style of making sparkling wine was said to be developed in the 16th century - but I bet it is actually much older than that. So, it’s been around for a long, long time, even though it seems to be a trendy, modern style of wine. 

In fact, the Decanter article says it is the oldest way of making sparkling wine, and my guess is that it was probably developed hundreds or thousands of years earlier by accident. But, today it is made in that way purposely. 

Pét-Nat gets its sparkliness through a single, continuous fermentation. That means that the wine is bottled while it is still fermenting - meaning the yeast is still with the juice, and the yeast is eating up the sugars that are in the grape juice. When the yeast eats the sugar it poops out carbon dioxide, and that is what gives the wine the bubbles. This is therefore considered to be a relatively simple and natural way to make a sparkling wine. 

So, you may ask, what makes Pét-Nat different from the Champagne method of making sparkling wine?

First, since the wine ferments in the bottle, the yeast or the lees are left in the bottle. So, Pét-Nats can often be cloudy, and you will usually see sediment at the bottom of the bottle. 

The Champagne style of sparkling wine on the other hand starts by making a still or non-sparkling wine, so it is fermented once already, and then bottling that wine with yeast to create the bubbles in a second fermentation, and then the bottles are inverted or placed so the tops face downward so the lees will collect at the top of the bottle, and then they open the bottles in a process called disgorging to clear out the lees, and then the now clear wine is corked. In Pét-Nat, however, there is no disgorging. The lees just stay in there. 

Second, Pét-Nat is a pretty fast way of making a sparkling wine - one article I read called them quick and dirty. Champagne can take years to make, while a Pét-Nat can often be ready in just a few months, and are generally consumed very young, in the first couple of years after being bottled. Very young Pét-Nats can be pretty sweet, but the longer you wait, the less sweet the wine becomes because more and more of the sugars are consumed by the yeast. 

A third way in which they are different is that Pét-Nat is actually a less reliable or predictable way to make a sparkling wine. When making a Champagne or a wine like Prosecco which is made in the Charmat style of sparkling wine, the steps are very specific, and there is a lot more human intervention. In a Pét-Nat style of sparkling, the winemaker kind of lets nature take its course. Because of that, Pét-Nat can sometimes have more funky flavors and smells - which is part of the appeal.

Some people really love Pét-Nat because it is considered a more natural wine. Most makers of Pét-Nat use organic grapes and the wines also tend to be Vegan because they are not fined or filtered, and these winemakers pride themselves also on using naturally occurring yeasts and fermenations, and again, having very low intervention with the wine. 

Sometimes Pét-Nat wines can also have a different kind of bubble than a Champagne. They are often more fizzy or effervescent rather than having really find bubbles. 

Now, Pét-Nats can be a little pricey, but they are generally cheaper than Champagnes, and the fact that they are artisanal makes them more attractive to many wine drinkers who are looking for these kinds of wines that are more real and less mass produced. They are often considered fun and exciting, and are definitely part of the natural wine movement. 

And finally I will say that you can often tell if a sparkling wine is a Pét-Nat if the bottle is topped with a bottle cap or crown cap. Which at first looks weird and cheap, but, let me tell you, is actually kind of fun.

So, on that note, I think it’s time to learn a little more about the Pét-Nats we are drinking today. Whaddya say?

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.delish.com/uk/cocktails-drinks/a34522089/pet-nat-wine/
• https://www.city-vino.com/blogs/blog/the-differences-between-pet-nat-and-champagne/#:~:text=P%C3%A9t%2DNat%20differs%20in%20production,cloudy%20when%20opened%20and%20poured.
• https://petnat.ch/what-is-pet-nat/what-is-the-difference-between-pet-nat-and-champagne/#:~:text=Taste%3A%20Pet%20nat%20is%20often,a%20complex%2C%20juicy%20IPA%20beer.

Pét-Nat Wines We Chose for This Episode 18:43

For the second week in a row, Carmela, we are going to have a wine that breaks the $20 barrier. I will say that, in total, the three wines average under $20, and even the most expensive of the bunch is just barely over $20, but I do have to give that disclaimer. And I will say again that sometimes finding specific types of wines, like a Pét-Nat, makes it hard to find wines that are under $20, and that plus inflation means that every once in a while we will have to go above that number. In fact, I wonder when we are going to have to just move to saying under $25? Maybe soon.

Also, all of these wines should be relatively easy to find because I bought them all on wine.com. But, I will say that finding Pét-Nat is getting easier and easier, especially if you have a good wine shop close by or know of a wine shop that specializes in Natural Wines. But, if you want to find these specific wines, you can look on wine.com

The first wine we are going to drink today comes to us from Spain in the Penedes region, and is called Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat, and this is the 2022 vintage.  The winery says that the grapes are hand-harvested in small bins and fermented with natural yeast. What is interesting is that they use two grapes in the wine, one called Xarello and the other Muscat, and the Xarello is fermented in stainless steel while the Muscat is fermented  in clay amphora. The wines are then blended and bottled at the end of the fermentation, where they continue to ferment and age for 6 months. So, I think a lot of times you can also expect Pét-Nat wines to be a bit experimental.

The vineyard they come from is certified organic and this wine is also certified Vegan and the soil is clay and limestone, so we’ll see if some of that comes through in the taste. The wine is pretty low in alcohol at 11% - and usually lower alcohol wines are sweeter - but the wine is described as dry, so we will see. Of course, dry in sparkling usually means on the sweeter side versus what it means in a still wine, so who knows. 

The next wine we are trying today is called the Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat and this wine comes from South America, specifically Mendoza, Argentina. This wine is also organic, and the winemaker also claims to make their wines sustainably. They also use natural yeasts, and the wine is unfiltered.

This wine is 100% Chardonnay, and honestly, this is probably the way that I like Chardonnay the best - sparkling and unoaked. And, remember, Chardonnay is a classic sparkling wine grape, most famous as one of the grapes in Champagne. 

Different from our last wine, this one is 13.5% alcohol, so quite a bit higher, so I am expecting a pretty dry - or brut - sparkler here. 

The last wine we are tasting should be a really different one. It is the 2021 Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat. The Dry Hop part of it has me really intrigued. It is described on one website as Pét-Nat meets sour beer. I thought this would be an interesting wine to try because, as I have said Pét-Nat is sort of a freer or more experimental form of wine making, and the fact that they use hops in it makes me feel that this is a really experimental offering. 

This wine is also 100% Chardonnay, but the wine is described as pressed and racked onto Mosaic hops in a large stainless steel tank. The grapes are organic, they use native yeasts in the fermentation, the wine is said to be Vegan, and they claim to be sustainable.

I like what the winery says about this wine: Dry Hop Pét-Nat was our first foray into the Pét-Nat revolution. The creation of this wine requires perfect timing. It must be captured in bottle at just the right level of natural sugar so it is perfectly carbonated upon release.

So, this is going to be really fun and really interesting. We have three different Pét-Nats from three different parts of the world - Europe, South America, and North America - and three different styles, including one that is using hops in the wine making. So, on that note, I think it’s time to get to drinking! We’ll take a quick break and be right back. And, if you have these wines or similar wines, drink along with us!


ARTICLES and LINKS

• http://www.valkyrieselections.com/wine.cfm?wineid=423 
• http://www.valkyrieselections.com/webmedia/Entre%20Vinyes%20Oniric%20Pet-Nat%202022%20Technical%20Sheet.pdf
• https://www.winesellersltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SJ_La_Mantis_FS_2022.pdf 
• https://prbottleshop.com/products/santa-julia-la-mantis-natural-pet-nat-2022 
• https://argaux.com/wine/2021-field-recordings-dry-hop-pet-nat/ 
• https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51ba0993e4b01efb8e2cf763/t/63d83c4d42da117e190d7730/1675115598169/FR_techsheet_PetNatDryHop_22.pdf 

Pét-Nat Wine Pairing Tasting and Reviews 25:44

Wine: Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat (Click here to learn more about this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: Spain, Penedes
Year: 2022
Price: $16.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 11%
Grapes: 70% Xarello, 30% Muscat

What we tasted and smelled in this Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat:

• On the nose: Yeast, bread, Hefeweizen beer with lemon, citrus, apple, pineapple, beer-like smell, pear
• In the mouth: Dry, sweet on the front, melon, citrus, stone, pineapple, tropical fruit, bitterness at the end, elegant, fizzy almost carbonated

Food to pair with this Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat: Spicy foods, Mexican food, fish tacos, fish and chips, fried foods, Chinese food
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 9/10

Wine: Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat (Click here to learn more about this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
Year: 2022
Price: $19.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
Professional Rating: V 91

What we tasted and smelled in this Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat:

• On the nose: Pear, sparkling apple cider, Pina Colada, Margarita, lime, tequila, tropical fruits, very sweet, mixed drink
• In the mouth: Apple, tons of citrus, a bit of a hard alcohol taste, hard cider, melon, cantaloupe, very dry, bitter on the end, feel like summer drinks, orange, clementine, fizzy

Food to pair with this Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat: Thanksgiving foods, spicy foods, Mexican food, fish tacos, fish and chips, fried foods, chicken burgers, white pizza, sandwiches, Cuban sandwich, spicy bratwurst, spicy sausage

Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 8/10

Wine: Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat (Click here to learn more about this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: California, Paso Robles
Year: 2021
Price: $22.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 13.1%
Grapes: Chardonnay

What we tasted and smelled in this Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat:

• On the nose: Hops, beer-like smell, pine needle, herby, smells like forest, sap, damp clay, apple turnover, yeast, citrus, sweet bread
• In the mouth: Sour, a lot going on, effervescent, does not dry out like the others, ends with a ton of lemon, mouthfeel of a beer, a wine just for drinking, party wine, tailgating wine, fun wine, gift wine

Food to pair with this Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat: More challenging to pair with food, movie theater popcorn, salty foods, french fries, Big Mac and french fries


Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Which one of these are you finishing tonight?

• Carmela: Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat
• Joe: Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat

Taste profiles expected from these different Pét-Nats   45:20

• General: Not going to do a general because it totally depends on the grapes.
• Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat 
  • Rock Juice .com: This lightly fizzy wine is so fresh and aromatic, with an almost unctuous texture.  While the palate is dry, floral notes from the Muscat greet you on first sip, but it opens up to salty rocks and summer peaches.
• Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat
  • Winery: Aromas of white fruits and orange peel, with refreshing acidity
  • Vinous: Initially, there is a yeasty nose in which white fruit flavors develop later on. Indulgent in the mouth with fine bubbles, malic tension and a fruity expression, the flavors are intense but diaphanous. Raw, simple and pure.
  • PR Bottle Shop.com: On the nose, fresh and lively with notes of white fruits, pear, and orange peel. Some floral hints of honeysuckle or elderflower, along with a touch of yeastiness or bready aromas from the fermentation process. Light-bodied and refreshing with a zippy acidity and a gentle spritz of bubbles. Flavors of tart green apple, lemon, and grapefruit may dominate, with nuances of stone fruits such as peach or apricot. A touch of sweetness, although Pet-Nat is usually dry.
• Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat
  • Argaux: gooseberry, pear, lemon blossom, grapefruit, guava, almond skin

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 47:40

Ok, so, Carmela, it is just about time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - and if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast and also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast service - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

We would also love to hear from you about a wine you would like us to taste and review. You can, leave a message for us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com and you can join our email newsletter there, too, or you can just email us at joe@thewinepairpodcast.com and tell us about a wine you are curious about, or curious what we think of it. And, follow us on Instagram and Threads so you can see pictures of all of these wines we are tasting and reviewing. 

And, next time you listen to an episode, drink along with us and see if you are tasting and experiencing the same things we are - it’s like a date night! And if you do that, we’d love to hear what you think!

Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.