Pet nat

Petillant naturel is the oldest way of making a wine sparkle and the simplest. The wine is bottled before its first fermentation has finished, so the last of the sugar turns to fizz inside the glass. No second fermentation, no added yeast and sugar, no disgorging, usually no filtration.

That means a softer bubble than Champagne, a hazy pour, sediment at the bottom and a bit of variation from bottle to bottle. It also means there is nowhere for a winemaker to hide, which is why it is the natural wine world's signature format.

Serve it very cold, open it over a sink the first time, and pour it in one go if you would rather leave the sediment behind.

Questions

What is pet nat wine?

Pet nat is short for petillant naturel. The wine is bottled part way through its first fermentation and finishes fermenting inside the sealed bottle, which traps the carbon dioxide. It is also called the ancestral method. Unlike Champagne there is no second fermentation and no added yeast or sugar, and it is usually unfiltered.

Why is my pet nat cloudy?

Because it was not filtered or disgorged, so the spent yeast stays in the bottle. That is normal and it is where a lot of the flavour is. Stand it upright in the fridge for a few hours and pour steadily if you want a clearer glass.