Rustic fizz: A deep dive into pet nat

There was a time when I thought the popularity of pet nat would wane, but demand for the fizz remains fierce. Expect a wave of it over spring and summer. Winemakers are making more of it, some with delightful results.

What is it exactly? Pet nat is short for petillant naturel, which loosely translates to "naturally sparkling" in French. It is made using the methode ancestrale technique, which dates back hundreds of years. In a nutshell, fermentation is finished in the bottle, without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars. Any grape variety can be used to make it. Nothing is added during the process or filtered out at the end. Sounds simple. It's not. They can be temperamental in and out of the bottle.

"Making it can be tricky but drinking it makes up for that," says Danish winemaker Uffe Deichmann. "I am fascinated by the transformation pet nat goes through in [the] bottle," he says. "It's a wild thing that kind of goes where it wants."

The McLaren Vale-based winemaker's new Poppelvej (poppelvej.com) releases include a pinot meunier rosé pet nat, a sauvignon blanc pet nat, a mourvedre rosé pet nat, and an experimental pet nat that includes zibibbo (aka Muscat of Alexandria, a white variety originally from Egypt). "It was on skins for 12 months, then pressed, and I added plum juice from an organic orchid next to the winery." Just 600 bottles of this fruity beauty were made.

Pet nat isn't pretty or poised like champagne. Nor is it looked at so seriously. Its charm is more gnarly. As a rustic warm weather party starter, pet nat can't be beat.

Wine scientist and winemaker Alex Schulkin has been mastering the art of pet nat in his Adelaide Hills shed since 2013 and when he's not working at the Australian Wine Research Institute, Schulkin (who is originally from Israel) and his wife Galit make untamed wine under their label The Other Right.

"When we started making it in 2013 there were only about five around," Schulkin says. "Now I can't even guess how many there are. That's exciting."

Pro tip Chill it and drink it cold, as you would beer. Warm pet nat is a no-no.

Three to try

Tim Ward Wines 2021 Lambrusco Rosé is full frontal fun. Tim Ward is based in Newcastle and uses fruit from all over the country. This is made from grapes from Victoria. 10 per cent alcohol, $25 at pnvmerchants.com or blackheartsandsparrows.com.au

Chateau Acid 2021 Moonlight Super Tranquil Petillant Naturel was made in NSW using Riverland zibibbo and vermentino. Rose petals on the nose and zippy lemonade across the palate. 11.4 per cent alcohol, $31.50, chateauacid.com. Find it at the likes of notwasted.com.au and differentdrop.com.

The David Franz 2021 Petillant Naturel (Barossa, SA) delivers fruity, pear-packed flavours, is bright as a button and an example of how clear and crisp pet nats can be. Lovely dry finish. $30, 11.6% alcohol.