What I'd Bring to a Pet Nat Party: Part One

A somewhat definitive guide to what Pet Nat's you should/could be enjoying this festive season...

Autumn sets over here in the UK. In some parts of the country there is snow on the ground. Across the land, grape harvests are finished, juice is pressed and the culmination of the years work rests in hopeful fermentation.

It is also the beginning of silly season, the party hosting period that occupies this latter part of the year. Halloween Eve and Bonfire Celebrations quickly passed, thus commencing the long season of Christmas parties and the like!

So in the name of hosting (or attending) such festivities I thought it would be a fun and appropriate time to discuss one of my favourite styles of wine: Pet Nat.

The preface to this article goes a little something like this: for a long time I would have said, that I did not like sparkling wine (insert gasps of horror here). Associations of cheap Prosecco, all aggressive bubbles and unbalanced acidity, and the migraine that accompanied always seemed it, I will admit a long standing and wilful ignorance to the sheer diversity of sparkling wines.

Fast forward a few years and now sparkling wines, particularly Pet Nats and Col Fondos, sit firmly in the category of wines that I am the most eager to consume. If you asked me to pick a bottle that I fancy having with dinner, most often my fingers reach for the rainbow of sparkling wine that sits atop our wine collection. And what’s not to love: low alcohol, soft teasing fizz, young yeast and a real sense of energy and life upon the cracking open of a crown cap.

So today, it is my intention to share my recommendations for the Pet Nats that I find the most delicious, exciting or interesting. I will try and keep it concise, however, there are lots of wines here that I feel deserve a mention, and I like allow myself the luxury of a bit of waffle, it’s my blog after all. That is why I decided early on, that the only course of action was splitting this article (essay) into two parts.

This first part will begin with a brief exploration of what a Pet Nat is, and will carry on with a discussion of some of the stellar English and Welsh Pet Nats one can find in these here Isles. Come back for Part Two where I will consider some of my favourite Pet Nats from across the globe. For each wine I will present a little biography of the wine and its creation, as well as suggesting a dish or snack pairing and letting you know where to find it! All in order to help you achieve your dinner party dreams.

To kick us of then, a quick recap on what we mean by the term Pet Nat, a winemaking method that has soared in popularity in recent years to the point of it now being available to buy in a supermarket, more on that later.

So what is a Pet Nat or ‘Petillant Naturel’?

In short, Pet Nat refers to a style of wine, rather than one singular production method. To make a Pet Nat’s there are two general approaches, although nuance and variation in technique exists from winemaker to winemaker. The umbrella of Pet Nat includes one of oldest methods of making sparkling wine, the ‘Méthode Ancestrale’ originated in 1500s France, which predates the Champagne ‘Traditional Method’ and other types of creating bubbles.

The two approaches to creating Pet Nat are known as the ‘interruption’ method and Entr'acte 'intermission’ method.

In theory, ‘interruption’ is one of the simplest sparkling winemaking techniques there is, as the wine is bottled while the fermentation process is still happening. Primary fermentation is interrupted and the wine becomes sparkling as the remaining sugar is then converted to carbon dioxide in bottle by the yeast, creating the pressure and fizz that we love so much. The wine can then be disgorged and topped up with the same wine, or not, but further no additions or dosage will be used.

In the entr'acte ‘intermission’ method, there are a few more steps, with primary fermentation being completed to dryness, allowing the wine to be naturally settled by cold, either in underground cellar or temperature controlled tank. Juice from a second pick of grapes, is then added to the first wine, which is then bottled. The second pick juice completes the fermentation in bottle to produce the bubbles.

1. Lost in a Field, Frolic Pet Nat (Various Vintages)

The first wine that I will talk about today comes from none other than Tim Wildman MW and his UK project ‘Lost in a Field’ which is how I first discovered Tim and his wines.

It was 2022 and I was working at Essen General Store for their 1st Birthday Celebration, store owner Ed cracked open a magnum of Frolic 2021 and started pouring to guests with gusto. Despite only getting to try a glass of the verifiable fairy juice, I couldn’t quite believe that such a wine could have been created with fruit from all over the country, including from my home county of Herefordshire.

Since then I have the pleasure of tasting both the 2022 and the most recently the 2023, poured by Tim himself at the 2024 Real Wine Fair. Both are characterised by a thirst quenching mousse, soft pink bubbles with a joyous acidity that makes this ideal juice for enjoying with or without food. 

Focusing here then on the most recent vintage, Frolic 2023 is a blend of six grape varieties grown in five vineyards across four English counties, Herefordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Kent, all from vines planted between the 1970s-1990s. According to lostinafield.com 2023 was a Goldilocks Vintage “not too hot, not too cool, not too much rain, it was just right.”

Tim surmises what qualities each of the six varieties lend to the vintage:

“Made from a blend of Madeleine Angevine and Huxelrebe for aromatics and intensity, Schönburger for beautiful perfume, Reichensteiner and Müller-Thurgau for acidity and hand staining, red fleshed Triomphe d'Alsace for colour.” 

Lost in a Field employs a traditional variation of the ‘intermission’ process, where the wine is ‘cold-settled’ before the end of primary fermentation as it would naturally over Winter before being bottled and then allowed to warm up again, in the Spring. The six varieties were co-fermented in a stainless steel tank with wild yeasts. After two weeks the temperature of the tank was dropped, after which the wine was racked to avoids the risk of the final wine gushing when opened. Fermentation continued slowly as temperatures dropped with the wine being bottled on 11th February 2024.

With a beautiful pale coral colour, the wine is a little hazy, reminiscent of a pastel pink grapefruit. On the nose, a summer bouquet of English hedgerow, all elderflower flowers and bursting petals. Enchanting bubbles foam upon pouring, with the palate of ripe strawberry, poached quince and citrus fruit!

As Tim puts it, Lost in a Field is “fruity, fun, fault free, zero sulphur English pét-nat made from heritage grape varieties from old vines” as he invites us to “Drink the rainbow!”.

For me this wine is a bench mark for how good an English Pet Nat can be, a juicy Summer smasher. Begging to be enjoyed over a picnic in the park, or as I did this Summer, while splashing in the pool! In a nutshell, this wine tastes like Summer, which is what makes it a perfect little reminder of the joys of that elusive season, especially when cracked open on a dark and cold Winter afternoon.

Fast forward to harvest 2024 and I was able to get my family involved and join Tim for a morning of picking Madeleine Angevine for the blend in Herefordshire, for the next year’s Frolic Pet Nat. The state of this year’s harvest across the country has meant tiny quantities of fruit for the blend, from just a couple of growers, but I have no doubt that the resulting wine will be a delicate delight that I will be clamouring to get my hands on.

How to Find: Lost in a Field, Frolic Pet Nat is available to buy at many wine online retailers, while there are a few bottles of 2022 still kicking about, the 2023 is much more abundant! @lost_in_a_field on IG.

What I’d Pair: A wine to pair with experiences. From dinner parties, to the pool, or the park in warmer months perhaps? Bring it to your Spring-time picnics; fruit, cheese and meat on the go. All good things. Tiny sandwiches.

2. Titch Hill, ‘Love Streams’ 2023

This is one of my favourite wines from the last year. It is a simple delight from Titch Hill. It has me so excited about what is to come from this project out of Worthing, from Plumpton alums Alex Tristram and Sam Bunker.

All of Titch Hills 2023’s releases were négoce (which if you didn’t know, is broadly speaking, when fruit or juice is bought from elsewhere). Love Streams is a new wine for these guys and made with fruit responsibly sourced from various vineyards. In this case organic was Bacchus sourced from both Forty Hall, London and Natalia Harris, Hastings. Uncertified Chardonnay & Auxerrois came from a’Becketts in Wiltshire.

After direct press with separate initial fermentation, all varieties where bottled together. The wine was disgorged in spring 2024 and has no additions.

Zippy and bright this Pet Nat has buckets of lively energy and pure deliciousness. Balance of slight salinity with a sweet juicy refresher quality that I find to be absolutely mouthwatering. Pale lemony yellow with a soft sparkle. This wine has buckets of fun, deliciousness and vibes all crammed into one bottle and has me so excited to taste what’s coming next from Alex and Sam.

It is worth mentioning also, if you are after Christmas gift ideas, the Titch Hill tote is top tier, a great sturdy tote bag that I can personally attest to safely carrying many bottles of wine.

How to Find: @titchhillwines on IG. You can still find a few online, at retailers like Wayward Wines, and I’d recommend snapping it up fast.

What I’d Pair: A packet of crisps and I’d be happy, but I do think this wine has great dinner party pouring potential. Chill it down, crack it open and let the love stream!

3. Ham Street Wines, Pet Nat 2023

2023 is the second vintage of this Pet Nat from local legends Lucie & Jules over at Ham Street Wines, Kent. This wine was made was made by friends Daniel & Nicola Ham (Offbeat), who use fruit from Ham Street in the creation of their own wines back in Wiltshire.

The vineyard achieved its biodynamic certification this year and it is wonderful to see how things are developing over at this lovely little spot.

In 2023, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Bacchus, hand-harvested before a 5-day carbonic maceration, pressed into fibre-glass and bottled soon after. The maceration over 5 days ‘to provide a more gentle extraction of fruit flavours from the grapes.’ The wine is made with no additions and according to the biodynamic calendar.

Dark reddy-pink in colour. Elderflower, a little bit herby with rhubarb and all manner of red fruits bursting out on the palate with a lovely fizz and acidity.

I managed to get up to Ham Street for a day of picking this year and had the best time, hearing about how Jules and Lucie started upon their winemaking journey, and seeing everything they have built with all their hard work and passion.

How to Find: @hamstreetwines on IG. This wine is available to buy through Ham Street directly (where I definitely recommend you pick up a bottle of one of their fantastic new releases, like the Blanc de Blancs 2021, or Chardonnay 2022).

What I’d Pair: For some reason I’ve got roasted root veg in my head when I think of this, the perfect winter dinner party side dish in my opinion involves roasting carrot, fennel and celeriac - which I could totally see tasting great with this beauty.

4. Gros Canon, ‘Virement de Bord’ 2023

‘Virement de Bord’ is a English Pet Nat from the wonderful Kevin Barbry, who spends his days selling lovely wine over at Les Caves de Pyrene. I was thrilled to discover he finds the time to make wine as well. While researching for this piece, I asked Kevin what the name ‘Virement de Bord’ meant and why he had chosen this name for his wine, he explained that he names his wines in relation to sailing, and that ‘Virement de Bord’ translates to a ‘change in direction’:

“The reason for ‘change of direction’ is because we used to live in France, and the plan was very much to make our life there. But we didn’t and in the end I ended up making wine in the UK. Change of plan, change of direction… that’s the idea.”

Ortega, Auxerrois and Pinot Noir grapes came from Shotley Vineyard, Suffolk and underwent fermentation with indigenous yeast in fibre-glass at Ham Street Wines, Kent. The only intervention was racking, with no additives being used in the winemaking.

The texture here is super, soft and silky. Think of orange blossom and apple skins on the nose, tasting refreshing and bright, with dreamy depth and a lovely citrus edge.

It was a pleasure to first try this beauty at the 2024 Brit Nat Tasting (a biannual showcase of UK Pet Nat-ish style wines) and then again enjoy a bottle after a day’s harvest at Ham Street, over dinner at The Union, Rye, where you can find it on the bottle list!

As for many in UK, the 2024 harvest has yielded small quantities of fruit, due to the tough growing year, but Kevin says that what grapes were picked looked great. I will be eagerly awaiting a taste of next years wine.

How to Find: @gros.canon.wines on IG. You can find this online where there are still a few bottles left, or through Les Caves de Pyrene.

What I’d Pair: Pickles. Olives. Oysters. I imagine endless appropriate opportunities, for whatever you have on your dinner party menu, seafood (I had nduja mussels & crab on toast), fatty meat (such as croquettes, pork belly) the list goes on!

5. M&S, Pet Nat 2023

I said we would be back to the topic of supermarket Pet Nat, so here we are. Imagine, you are in a pinch, no wine, no trusty natty wine shops in sight… what do you do? Well you can now purchase a Pet Nat from the Marks and Spencers, crazy right!

M&S have developed this Pet Nat with Heppington Vineyard in Kent. Made using the ‘intermission’ method, this pink Pet Nat is a mix of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Pale candy floss in colour. This Pet Nat is young and I fall happily into the category of people that believes in gently swirling their young Pet Nats in bottle to incorporate the sediment, which for me adds a depth to the drinking experience.

When I first tasted this earlier in the year, despite quite a limited nose, I was pleasantly surprised to find this wine was in fact, enjoyable to drink. While there is nothing particularly alive about this wine, it drinks fresh and bright, warms to reveal hints of strawberries and apple crisp. It is worth noting the slightly bitter note on the finish which doesn’t feel unpleasant. While it may be a little - dare I say, basic - to the seasoned Pet Nat drinkers out there, this wine is a saving grace, a redeeming feature, if you like me, fear the supermarket wine aisles.

It is worth mentioning, that I believe you are getting what you pay for here, with the scale of production very clear. If we compare the £15.99 that M&S is charging for this wine, to the prices of the other wines from the small scale independent producers that are mentioned here, which have an average cost of around £25 per bottle. I know where I prefer my money to go!

How to Find: M&S stores, Ocado!

What I’d Pair: I would say that this is a good bottle to pop open on Christmas day, share with the family and introduce them to the wonders of Pet Nat, perhaps while you prepare dinner. (Or one for your work Christmas do, when you don’t want to spend more than you have to.)

6. Black Mountain Vineyard, Pet Nat 2023

Now I’ve poured a lot of the Black Mountain Col Fondo 2021 this year, always with a smile on my face and a story about how delighted I am to share a wine from my home. A celebration of Herefordshire and the wines that are starting to trickle out from the region.

I tried this Pet Nat for the first time at this year’s Brighton Natural Wine Fair, where I stood in front of winemaker Mark Smith and gushed of my love and enthusiasm for their wines. Where the Col Fondo is a stunning, clean Pinot Meunier number, the Pet Nat is more fun, thirst quenching, and full of life. A little floral murmur on the nose with juicy apples and berries on the palate.

Solaris and Siegrebbe from 10+ year old vines, is hand-harvested, gently crushed and left to ferment for three weeks, juice, skins and all. Pressed then into bottle to rest over winter. The wine was shaken and riddled in the spring 2024, then disgorged, topped up and given a golden crown cap.

How to Find: @blackmountainvineyard on IG. Available direct through their website. I also picked up one of their Shouting at Weather, Col Fondo NV while I was there, why not?

What I’d Pair: I recently chose this as one of the bottles I took to a little wine lunch at Mangal 1 and enjoyed it with conversation over bread and the various dips. But open this for your Christmas cheese course with no regrets!

7. Offbeat x Paris Barghchi, Common Ground Pet Nat 2023

I recently picked up a bottle this Pinot Blanc Pet Nat. With only 500 bottles made and it was a need, not a want, to give it a go! A somewhat spontaneous collaboration between the good people of Offbeat (Daniel and Nicola Ham) and the darling Paris Barghchi (Offbeat, Domaine Hugo).

I was able to have a chat with Paris about how Common Ground came around, and was told an enthralling story of this mysterious golden bottle was conceived.

Paris’ background in hospitality, and passionate desire to get on with practical groundwork that she observed to be at times lacking within the wine scene, led her to working with both Domaine Hugo and Offbeat Wines in 2021. Here she began helping out with harvests where they built strong working relationships that would lay the foundations for this wines conception.

In 2023, things in Paris’ life meandered and the path she was walking on changed. In a turn away from London, Dan and Nic invited Paris to Wiltshire, to work with her ‘one true love’ (wine).

There were concerns over sunlight hours towards the end of the 2023 harvest, Paris explained, as October came with rain and with fruit still on the vine, disease concern followed. By the time the fruit arrived from Essex, the plans for the wine that she would make changed, and the three decided instead that they would make a wine together.

This is how Common Ground came to be, as the relationship between Dan, Nic and Paris is one just that, common ground. Paris shared a beautiful sentiment with me of the way they complement and challenge each other, in palate and personality alike.

‘The project stems from a shared love of honest and unadulterated expressions of time and place.’

Organic Pinot Blanc was hand-harvested, hand-sorted and foot-crushed, with the latter taking place at 1am, in the middle of a thunderstorm. From this biblical beginning, the grapes then underwent a 9 day maceration, under a static cap, a process whereby the fermenting grapes are not turned over or punched down, an act of standing back and letting what will be, be. This minimal movement, encourages volatile acidity, something that the three share an appreciation of. It was then moved to ferment in tank, pressed in a manual basket press, before being bottled by hand on 17th of November 2023. Common Ground Pet Nat 2023, is an honest and historic Pet Nat, Paris explained, undergoing no disgorgement, no additions and no subtractions.

The label, drawn by Paris herself, speaks to moving forwards with the knowledge of the past, acknowledging what grew before us. The Spelt depicted on the label, a grain believed to be one of the first cultivated crops grown in the UK.

This is definitely one for the more curious out there, if you are after character and wildness then this has is in spades. The most unique and honest Pinot Blanc I have ever tasted. Powerful aromas of ripe orchard fruit and a full, wonderfully textured drinking experience. A wine that captivates with its energy, crunch and chalky-grip!

How to Find: I purchased my bottle through Highbury Library, where it is now sold out, but there are other online retailers where it is still in stock. @parisbarghchi on IG.

What I’d Pair: Warm perfectly toasted bread with a good slab of local salted butter. Bonus points if it’s spelt or seeded. Also a hard English sheep’s cheese (Spenwood from Berkshire is my recommendation) and mandatory Membrillo if you want to get really fancy.

8 & 9. Ancre Hill Estate, Pink Pet Nat 2023 & Red Pet Nat NV

Ancre Hill Estate, Monmouth is another vineyard very close to my heart, and for that reason it feels like a good one to wrap this part of the article up with.

Now Ancre Hill make a array of super sparkling wines, from their Peifrog, to Blanc de Noirs, but their three ‘Sui Generis’ (unique) wines from the iconic Orange Wine to the pair of Pet Nats are where I think the experimental spirit of the place really speaks.

The Vineyard sits nestled in the Wye Valley, which is quite possibly my favourite place on Earth, lush and green, it is a place where the mist sits heavy in the mornings, with the River Wye flowing underneath. I actually got engaged just down the road from the vineyard and each year go back to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on that special spot on the banks of the Wye.

Ancre Hill is one of the vineyards that has championed biodyamic viticulture in Wales and England, with the estate adopting biodynamic practices in 2011. Ran by owners Richard and Joy Morris with winemaker Jean du Plessis, it was a joy to meet these folks at the Real Wine Fair this year. I’ll for a long time be recounting the story of only getting to taste Arianna Occipinti’s wines thanks to Richard’s insistence that our glasses were poured into at a very crowded stall.

Now about the wines. Pink Pet Nat 2023 is made with the ‘intermission’ method: the previous vintage wine, in this case Pinot Noir, being blended with brand new vintage wine, a 2022 Chardonnay before bottling.

I first tried the non-vintage Pink Pet Nat a couple of years ago and from that to the newest release of this wine, I am enthused! With crunchy orchard fruit flavours, berries and a beautiful mousse, this is a wine I have both gifted to and drank with those I love, with equal amounts of pleasure. It goes without saying that this is a wine that I would be super excited to open the fridge door and find waiting for me…

Before I wrap this up, I must shout out the other Pet Nat made by Ancre Hill, Red Pet Nat NV, made in the same method as the Pink, but with Triomphe and Chardonnay. Red currents straight off the bush, pursed lips and red fingertips! Red fruit jam, racy and tart this wine has what I consider a characteristically Ancre Hill quality, a delicate balance between refined, pure wine with a robust unique style that doesn’t pull any punches.

How to Find: @ancrehill on IG. I can currently seem to find both the Pink Pet Nat NV and 2023 online, NV with the white label and 2023 the black, whatever you are buying, it’s gonna be good. Ancre Hill Red Pet Nat NV you can find both in trusted wine shops & online wine retailers, duh!

What I’d Pair: Open these when your guests arrive at your next dinner party, canapés optional.

Well that was quite a ride. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey into the wonderful world of English & Welsh Pet Nat. I hope that you enjoyed hearing about some of the magical sparkly stuff being made across the country. A special thank you to Kevin and Paris for the insights into your wines!

Next week I’ll be back with a list of Pet Nat from further afield: from South Africa, to Australia, France, Germany and Slovakia!

Oh and please do let me know your favourite Pet Nat and I’ll add it to my ever growing list of wine to try.

Cheers friends, and look after yourselves in this dark half.

Until next time! Salut!

If you haven’t already, check out my first blog post…