I love a Pet Nat.
Along with Crement, they have experienced the biggest upward trend in sparkling wine over the past decade. Once a niche East London wine shop choice, you’ll now find them consistently in mainstream bars and supermarkets.
And there’s a huge variety out there now. Different grapes, styles, colours and brands. Even some Champagne houses are getting in on the act.
Yet, despite their popularity, Pet Nats have become strangely divisive. People tend to either love them, or view them with suspicion.
So what’s behind the hype…and criticism? Are Pet Nats an acquired taste, or misunderstood? And how do they stack up against other sparkling wines for quality?
But first things first…what exactly is a ‘Petillant Naturel’ (aka a Pet Nat)?
Simply put, it's a style of sparkling wine made with a single fermentation. Partially fermented wine is bottled, where the process completes, capturing CO2 and creating bubbles in the wine. Pretty straightforward, and different from other methods such as Champagne, Cava, or Processo, where a second fermentation takes place by adding additional sugar and yeast.
In other words, a Pet Nat is generally regarded as a more natural and minimal approach to sparkling wine. Grape juice starts fermenting, wine is bottled, done.
Which may sound very much like a natural sparkling wine?
In a way they are, and certainly the philosophy aligns with that of a natural wine - natural ingredients, limited intervention, and no filtration.
But it’s worth noting Pet Nats don’t have to be considered a natural wine. There’s nothing to stop them having additional ingredients added. And whilst many are cloudy, (the sediment is a natural by-product of fermentation), there’s nothing to stop filtering taking place either.
Which leads nicely on to the typical Pet Nat style...
In the main, the style historically replicated the stripped back nature of the winemaking process. Easy drinking, light, and fruity. There is less yeast contact, so less of the bready, brioche notes that an aged Champagne has for example. And producers typically picked more fruit forward grapes to add greater flavour.
These styles of wine - fresh and fruity, with less ‘winemaking’ involved - have been on the up in recent years. And the popularity of Pet Nats has massively increased as a result. But not without some pushback.
So why has an easy drinking style of sparkling wine become divisive?
The reason I believe is partly down to how fast the category has grown. Whilst the process itself is very old (the pre-cursor to all sparkling wines), it's only in the last 10 years we’ve started to see a whole range of styles enter the fray, as producers have wildly experimented.
Winemakers now test with a much greater selection of grape varieties, and try different yeasts to change the flavour profile. Plus, modern techniques such as temperature control, filtration, and sediment management have all encouraged new approaches. And whilst the essence of minimal intervention and fruit forward wines hasn’t completely disappeared, the variation in styles has changed the nature of the category.
And that is great for increased variety on our shelves. But it has also clouded consumer understanding and expectations of what a Pet Nat is. A clear, crisp, more mineral tasting Pat Nat is naturally going to draw comparisons and expectations with wine such as Champagne. But they are very different styles. It’s a bit like ordering street food, and expecting a fine dining experience. It tastes great, but you’re probably going to be left feeling a bit short changed.
So is a Pet Nat a lower quality level of sparkling wine?
No, not necessarily. Whilst it's true most won’t compete with top level Champagnes, many still deliver outstanding quality wine. And like everything - you can get bad examples as well as quality versions. But one negative experience shouldn’t write off an entire category. I recently heard someone describe all Pet Nats as cloudy cider in a wine bottle. For me that's akin to describing all forms of transport as pedalos.
Conversely, the quality of Pet Nats as a category has actually greatly increased. Producers are refining blends, boosting consistency, and creating some really compelling new wines.
So what are the best Pet Nats to look out for?
That’s the exciting thing, there are no single answers when it comes to Pet Nats. It's the diversity that intrigues. Unlike other sparkling wines, they can be made from a wide variety of grapes, in numerous styles. Most may remain fruity, fresh, and natural. But others can be clean, elegant and refined. Some are even wild and funky. The choice is immense.
My advice - try as many as you can, and keep an open mind. Don’t judge a category on one experience. And enjoy the many excellent examples that best suit your tastes.
And, if you need some tips, check out our list of sparkling wines, where you’ll find some Pet Nat recommendations that have been quality assessed and ready for drinking!
