What Exactly Is a Pét-Nat?

Have pét-nats become … normal? This is a question I have been pondering recently. Pétillant naturel wines (i.e., pét-nats) popped onto the wine scene between 2015 and 2020 and received — as with natural wine in general — far more press attention than actual purchases would suggest. But to some degree, they’ve now become a part of the everyday wine world; you can find a pét-nat at your local Total Wine just as easily as you can at a shop focusing solely on esoteric natural vintners.

Pét-nats are sparkling wines made in a manner that predates the so-called “traditional method” used in Champagne (and for most other sparkling wines). Rather than induce a second fermentation in the bottle to create the bubbles, as Champagne producers do, makers of pét-nat simply bottle the wine before the initial fermentation has ended. The result is softly fizzy, sometimes lightly sweet from residual grape sugars, usually hazy with unfiltered yeast particles, and typically sealed with a crown cap instead of a cork.

By nature, pét-nats are casual. They’re easygoing. They didn’t brush their hair when they got up, and they threw on yesterday’s jeans because, really, who cares? Some pét-nats are downright funky. On the other hand, some are as clean and precise as can be.

Though this approach to making fizzy wine originated in southwestern France in the 1500s, pét-nats can be made from any grape variety, anywhere, and winemakers take advantage of that. Michael Cruse, who makes Ultramarine, California’s most hotly sought-after traditional-method sparkling wine (a bottle will run you close to $200, if you can find one), also makes a plethora of pét-nats. “I love pét-nats! I think when they’re done right, they can really show a vineyard’s character in the same way a traditional-method sparkling wine can," he says. "They’re one of my favorite ways to make wine.” Coexistence is cool. We can all get along. You say potato; I say pét-nato. It’s all good. Go forth and try a few.

2022 Oyster River Winegrowers Morphos Pét-Nat ($20)

Oyster River is in Warren, Maine, but the grapes for this nutty-waxy, lemony, mysteriously appealing wine come from New York. To get it, reach out to the winery directly.

2022 Cruse Wine Co. Sparkling Rancho Chimiles Valdiguié ($40)

Michael Cruse has been a defender of the almost forgotten Valdiguié grape, using it for wines like this dry, dark pink sparkler, full of orchard-fruit and watermelon notes.

2021 Ca’ dei Zago Colli Trevigiani Prosecco Col Fondo ($25)

Col fondo is an old-school way of making Prosecco where the yeast lees are left in the bottle. It’s tangy, earthy, and softly sparkling — and Ca’ dei Zago’s is one of the best.

2021 La Grange Tiphaine Nouveau Nez ($34)

The Loire Valley’s Damien and Coralie Delecheneau are stars in the natural-wine world. Their toasty Chenin Blanc pét-nat is a 12-karat-gold color, with tingly bubbles and notes of apples and earth.

2021 Stolpman Vineyards Combe Pét’Nat Trousseau ($42)

California’s Stolpman Vineyards makes exceptional Syrah and in recent years has expanded to wines like this coral-colored pét-nat, made from Trousseau grapes.

2022 Max Dexheimer Pétillant Naturel ($30)

This pét-nat from Max Dexheimer is made from a blend of Silvaner, Gelber Muskateller, Gewürztraminer, Kerner, and Müller-Thurgau. It smells of oranges and is lightly bitter on the palate.

2022 Movia Pét-Nat ($30)

Slovenia’s Aleš Kristančič was an alt-sparkling talent with his Puro, which the buyer has to disgorge in a tub of water. His new Movia pét-nat is clean, zesty, and earthy — and way less work to open.

2021 Birichino Pétulant Naturel Malvasia ($27)

Malvasia’s alluring aromatic notes — Ruby Red grapefruit, tangerines, flowers — are here in this California pét-nat, with soft, gentle bubbles and flavors that echo the aroma.

2022 Matthiasson Lightly Sparkling Grape + Peach Wine ($32)

Steve and Jill Matthiasson’s zippy sparkler (not technically a pét-nat) comes from homegrown peaches cofermented with Chardonnay from their Linda Vista vineyard.

2021 Vína Herzánovi Pét-Nat ($25)

A pét-nat from Vína Herzánovi in the Czech Republic made from Müller-Thurgau, this doesn’t smell so much of fruit as of jasmine tea, and it’s tangy and intense in a refreshing way — a good bottle if you’re feeling adventurous.

2020 Soalheiro Espumante Pét-Nat Alvarinho ($33)

Soalheiro, one of Portugal’s top Vinho Verde makers, recently started making this creamy, pineapple-y wine; it would be super with some Portuguese sheep cheese.

2021 Unico Zelo Sea Foam ($25)

Aussie vintners Brendan and Laura Carter make this easy-to-love sparkler from Vermentino and Fiano. It suggests tart green apples sprinkled with a touch of sea salt — appropriately enough.

2022 Donkey & Goat Fizzy Izzy Sparkling Grenache Gris ($45)

Cloudy and yeasty, this pét-nat from California natural-wine producer Donkey & Goat tastes of tart red berries with a hint of citrus (oranges, specifically) and is lightly tannic.