Pet-nats are natural sparkling wines that are increasingly popular with the cool kids of the wine ... [+]
Pét-Nats are sparkling natural wines. Their name is short for pétillant naturel and the best have refreshing fruit-forward flavors that are reminiscent of a mimosa and/or a barrel-aged beer such as a lambic. This makes them an excellent choice for a Mother’s Day gift. Because the yeast used for a secondary fermentation in pét-nats is not removed from the bottle they often have a cloudy appearance and can be less expensive to produce than Champagne, which means you can get a great pét-nat for less than a great Champagne (but you don’t have to tell mom that part). I have fallen in love with the style recently and have been doing my part to spread the pét-nat gospel far and wide.
Pet-nats are also a great introduction to wine for fans of craft beer, cider and cocktails as their carbonated fruit-forward flavors can be reminiscent of barrel-aged beers and ciders. Here are some of my favorite pét-nats that are perfect for Mother's Day gifts or just summer drinking in general.
Clos Lentiscus Rose Brut Nature
This beautiful pét-nat from Clos Lentiscus, a biodynamic vineyard in Catalonia, pours a copper color and has bright fruit flavor against a slightly musty, but pleasantly so, backend. Reminiscent of a lambic, it is bursting with fruit-forward flavor and is perfect for mom.
Vegas Altas Ancestral
Made with a co-ferment blend of organically grown (on clay soils) Macabeo, Xarello, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Vegas Atlas Ancestral has a fresh and fruity flavor. Bright and refreshing, it’s a very celebratory drink.
Bojo do Luar, Brut Luiza Pét-Nat Rosé
This bargain-priced $21.99 pét-nat is a red fruit-forward triumph of flavors that like, several other offerings on this list, is reminiscent of a mimosa in all the best ways. With bottle art featuring a bright circular cover, this is a wonderful bottle to gift to mom.
Hopp
A collaboration between Catalonian winery, Finca Parera, and Barcelona natural wine bar Bar Salvatge, this ancestral sparkling wine is made from Xarello and Chardonnay, grapes grown and cultivated through biodynamic farming. It’s got all the bright spring and summer flavors you want in a pét-nat.
Martin Texier, Petite Nature
Jason Black, of Ungrafted Selections, which imports this wine to the U.S. from France, recommended this to me when I asked him for a funk-forward pét-nat recommendation. He says it reminds him of a sour beer from Hill Farmstead and I agree.
XL Ancestral
Don’t let the minimalist bottle with only“XL” on it fool you, this pét-nat is bursting with dry fruit notes and more of the flavors you traditionally associate with Champagne but its natural wine attitude shines through the longer you let the bottle breath. It’s made from Xarello grapes that are hand-harvested and then it utilizes spontaneous fermentation.
Palazzo Tronconi Gizziello Pét-Nat Rose
This ruby red expression from Italy is made with grapes from a certified biodynamic farm and utilizes spontaneous fermentation. All that creates an engaging and beautiful to look at pét-nat with lots of bright citrus notes.
