Pét Nat is an abbreviation of "Pétillant Naturel." It is a lightly carbonated sparkling wine or a method of production popularized by natural wine makers.
The features of Pet Nat are:
- Fermentation with wild yeast
- No added sugars
- Ferment part of the way in tanks, then ferment part of the way in bottles
Sparkling wines that use a "secondary fermentation in the bottle," such as Champagne, are made by first making a still white wine, and then adding yeast and sugar when bottling it, causing a second fermentation in the bottle, with the carbon dioxide released being retained in the wine.
In contrast, Pet-Nat, which believes in not artificially adding yeast or sugar, bottles wine before all the sugar in the grapes has fermented, i.e. while the wine is still in the fermenting process. They then allow the alcoholic fermentation to continue in the bottle, dissolving the carbon dioxide gas produced during this process into the wine. They do not carry out a second fermentation.
Wine made using this method has a lower alcohol content than regular sparkling wine, a lighter taste, and a gentle, popping, slightly carbonated flavor. Also, since many producers do not remove the sediment, cloudy Pet Nat is often seen.
