An Ode to Pet Nat
Aus Pet-Nat 2021
DO Alella (Catalunya)
ABV: 12.5%
Variety: Xarel-lo (Pansa Blanca in Catalunya)
Price: €12.50 (Bodeboca)
I have a dirty secret to confess, dear reader. Yes, I’m a Pet Nat lover. There, it’s out in the open. Already I feel cleansed. I know some wine aficionados find Pet Nat odious, but here’s my ode to the botched bubbly.
What is it about this style of wine that most likely came from a fermentation folly which so appeals to me? Well, to my mind, it’s the sheer jovial, unassuming nature of it. It’s also the versatility. It’s a wine of many hats. It’s viticulture’s Jamiroquai.
Let’s talk ease of access. A sharp pair of incisors is all that’s required to open most bottles of Pet Nat although a bottle opener is preferable, unless you want to run up hefty dental bills. Once opened this is not a bubbly that announces its presence with a whoosh. Depending on Co2 levels inside the bottle, some will exude little more energy than an ageing labrador in front of an open fire.
Upon pouring, the bubbles don’t so much fizz as meander, like a group of distracted tourists, to the surface. Pet Nat also tends to display a fairly narrow spectrum of aromas and flavours ranging from orchard fruits like apples and pears to something rather nutty like almonds or doughy like brioche. Critics say it too closely resembles cider in its aromatic profile, but if you love cider what’s not to like? That’s what I like about Pet Nat; the simplicity. You don’t have to spend hours trying to crack wine’s Enigma Code to enjoy it. Rather like Edward Snowden, it gives up its secrets easily.
If, like me, you’re a lover of spicy Asian food, you’ll find Pet Nat to be a trusted companion. It’s my go-to pairing with Indian or Thai food with its light effervescence acting as a great palate cleanser. But Pet Nat doesn’t really have to be paired with anything other than convivial company. It’s the wine you offer to your friends as they step through the door for a celebration or a lunch date. It’s the chilled wine you greet your diners with as they enter your restaurant after a few hours of pounding the Madrid cobblestones on a hot June day.
Pet Nat is really whatever you want it to be and the pleasure of it won’t cost you a kidney*. Most Spanish Pet Nat retails in the €10-€15 bracket. Way cooler than Cava and much cheaper than Champagne.
*No te cuesta un riñon (Spanish for ‘it won’t cost you an arm and a leg’)