Pop The Pet Nat!
The vinous universe of France holds within its verdant recesses, a generous trove of surprises, many of which the world still discovers with infinite glee. Wine Park recently returned from a successful mining exercise of its own with a score of Famille Fabre wines from the southern French region of Languedoc. Literally shining among this lot of organic wines is the Famille Fabre, Instant Bulle Pet Nat, 2024, a vintage Pet Nat, rarely found around the world, much less so on the Indian landscape. The Pet Nat, short for Pétillant Naturel and originated in the region of Limoux in the southwest, in the 16th century.
The Limoux region in Languedoc can rightfully lay claim to being the original home of French sparkling wine, having fashioned the Blanquette de Limoux and Cremant de Limoux sparkling styles. But it is the Méthode Ancestrale (ancestral method ) that Limoux pioneered in the 16th century to produce Pet Nat. This process interestingly differs quite discernibly from the well-known Méthode champenoise that makes Champagne. Unlike the latter method, the grape juice is bottled before fermentation runs its course with the result that the process is completed in the bottle. This generates carbon dioxide which creates the bubbles in the bottle, also making the wine a touch cloudy with yeast sediment settled at the bottom. Another key Pet Nat distinction is that the wine is closed under crown cap like beer rather than traditional cork.
