Pét-nat

Pét-nat is an abbreviation for pétillant naturel, a French term for naturally sparkling. Pét-nats have a light and fizzy mouthfeel and are generally low in alcohol. They are usually slightly sweet, though dry examples do exist.

Consider a pét-nat as the wild cousin to Champagne and sparkling wine. Unlike sparkling wine however — which add sugar and yeast to still wine to trigger a second fermentation to produce bubbles — pét-nat is only partially fermented before being bottled. This unpretentious sparkling wine can be made from any grape so it’s not limited to white, rosé, or red, and can be bottled in styles from unfiltered, cloudy, with yeast sediment to clean and clear.