On release of the new LAS Vino Albino Pinot Sparkling we run through the differences between pet nat and sparkling and how our new sparkling takes the best aspects from both.
Pet Nat: short for pétillant naturel Pét-nat is made with what is known as the “ancestral” method and is a fizzy wine made by trapping the gas produced in the primary fermentation. When wine ferments it converts sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The wine is bottled while this fermentation is still taking place trapping the carbon dioxide in the bottle. Its fresh and fun, and can contain a lot of sediment. Its difficult to control how much sugar is left in the ferment so sometimes the pet nats have a lot of fizz and sometimes none at all.
Sparkling Wine: If sparkling wine is made in a region in France called champagne it is called champagne. If a sparkling wine is made from other regions of France it is often called Cremant. If for example it is made in Spain it is often called Cava. A lot of different names for the same thing, made in the same way.
Compared to pet nat, sparkling wine is fermented dry (eg. the primary ferment finishes). This wine is then matured in tank or barrel prior to a re-fermentation. This is the big difference. Once the wine finishes primary fermentation and matures, you add the exact amounts of sugar and yeast and bottle the wine. A wine can be left with the yeast in bottle for an extended period of time, this is called tirage. More time on yeast in bottle gives the wine more complexity, often you get bread type flavours.
Normally after this you do a thing called disgorging , which means you open the bottle and get rid of the sediment, at the same time you do a thing called dosage , where you add sugar. Sugar is added to balance the high amounts of acidity in sparkling wine and also to make the taste rounder and more approachable. It doesn't re-ferment again because you add sulfur at the same time and there is no yeast after the disgorging.
Sparkling wine is more precise, more complex and more elegant than pet nat. Definitely less variable and a lot more goes into the production of it. Eg. There are more steps.
The new L.A.S. Vino ALBINO PINOT SPARKLING takes the best things from pet nat but the complexity preciseness of sparkling wine production while eliminating the last step- dosage and disgorging. We use pinot noir grapes for the base, leave the wine to naturally ferment and mature in barrel providing extra complexity We re-ferment with sugar and yeast but as the acidity is in balance the wine doesn't require an addition of sugar. We like it dry, crisp and complex. The sediment isn't removed and actually provides complexity and the ability for the wine to develop the longer it is left in the bottle. We hope you like it. Its a new take on the Albino PNO. Its fun fresh, complex and delicious.