Increasingly popping up in hip bars on both sides of the Atlantic is pétillant naturel (or pét-nat), a gently sparkling wine. This new trend is actually the revival of an ancient technique, méthode ancestrale, where fermentation is halted in winter and restarted in spring. The result is unfiltered full flavours and a finer bubble.
‘I love pét-nats because they break the monopoly of champagne and prosecco,’ says Pierre Malouf, general manager at Ottolenghi restaurants. ‘They are fresh, not too high in alcohol, and have a serious backbone. To me, they embody the winemaker’s relationship with his or her land and grapes.’
Ali Boit Boit Pét-Nat, by Agnes Paquet, from Stannary Wine Co
One such winemaker is Ben Walgate of Tillingham Wines in East Sussex. When he released a pét-nat last year, it sold out in five days. ‘Our farming is organic, we don’t use sulfites and we foster biodiversity. This gives the wine a unique taste and sense of place,’ he says.
Now his wine is stocked at the likes of natural wine champions The Laughing Heart in Hackney and Terroirs in Covent Garden, Marylebone restaurant Carousel, and upscale wine club 67 Pall Mall, and Walgate predicts it won’t be long before big producers get in on the act.
Browse our guide to the best natural wine bars in London
As originally featured in the July 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*232)
-
London's coolest design-led coffee shops for your Fashion Week fixCoffee shops are the heart of London’s neighbourhoods, discover those fusing speciality beans and stylish interiors for the perfect brew
-
Martine Rose’s first gallery show celebrates the radical queer energy of Bronski BeatTaking place at Sadie Coles over London Fashion Week, ‘Everything Must Change’ centres on a 2016 short film by menswear designer Martine Rose and image-maker Sharna Osborne starring Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekA taste of the dolce vita in London, some permanent artwork and a new eyeshadow palette – it's our editors' picks of the week
-
Introducing the only wine glass you’ll ever need, designed by the world’s best critic -
Raise your glass: a new twist on Duralex’s iconic drinking vessel is worth celebrating -
Fresh taste: Takashi Murakami and NEXT5 releases limited edition sake -
Against the grain: Waterford launch new beer glass range
