Pet-Nat is short for Pétillant Naturel, French for naturally sparkling. It is a sparkling wine made by bottling wine before fermentation finishes, so the remaining grape sugar continues fermenting inside the sealed bottle and creates carbon dioxide naturally. No added sugar, no added yeast for a second fermentation, no dosage. The result is a lightly sparkling wine that often looks a little cloudy, tastes fresh and grape-driven, and carries more of the fermentation character than many conventional sparkling wines.
What pet-nat is, and what it is not
Pet-nat is a naturally sparkling wine made through the ancestral method, or méthode ancestrale. The defining move is simple: the wine begins fermenting in tank or another fermenter, then is bottled before the fermentation is fully complete. Once the bottle is sealed, fermentation continues inside the bottle. The carbon dioxide that would normally escape into the air is trapped in the wine, creating bubbles.
That makes pet-nat a single-fermentation sparkling wine. It is not a still wine that later becomes sparkling through a separate second fermentation.
Pet-nat is not Champagne. Champagne is made through the traditional method, where a fully fermented still wine undergoes a second fermentation in bottle after the producer adds a measured mix of yeast and sugar. Champagne is also legally tied to the Champagne region of France.
Pet-nat is not Prosecco. Most Prosecco is made through the Charmat method, where the second fermentation happens in a pressurized tank rather than in the bottle. Prosecco is also an Italian wine category, most commonly associated with the Glera grape.
Pet-nat is not piquette. Piquette is made by re-fermenting grape pomace, which means the skins, seeds, and pulp left after pressing, usually with added water and sometimes sugar. Pet-nat is made from grape juice. Piquette is a different category. For the full story, read our piquette guide.
Pet-nat is also not vermouth or aromatized wine. Vermouth is wine that has been fortified and infused with botanicals. Pet-nat is straight wine with naturally produced bubbles. Read our vermouth guide for more.
How pet-nat is made
The technique behind pet-nat is called méthode ancestrale, or ancestral method. It is one of the older ways of making sparkling wine, and it predates the Champagne method by at least a century.
The exact process varies by producer, but the structure is usually the same.
1. Harvest
Grapes are picked at the ripeness needed for the style. Because pet-nat is usually meant to be fresh, bright, and lower in alcohol, acidity matters. The winemaker needs ripe flavour, but not so much sugar that the final wine becomes heavy.
2. Pressing or crushing
The grapes are pressed or crushed depending on the wine being made. A white pet-nat may be pressed relatively quickly. A rosé or red pet-nat may spend time on skins to pull colour, flavour, and texture from the grapes.
3. Fermentation begins
Fermentation begins in tank, barrel, or another fermenter. At Traynor, the house style leans on wild fermentation, meaning the yeast already present on the grapes and in the winery drives the fermentation rather than a commercial yeast addition.
4. Bottling mid-fermentation
This is the critical pet-nat decision. The winemaker watches the fermentation and bottles while enough sugar remains to create bubbles in the sealed bottle. The decision is based on tasting, measuring, and timing. Too little sugar and the wine may be flat. Too much sugar and the bottle pressure can become unstable.
5. Fermentation continues in bottle
Once capped, the remaining sugar ferments inside the bottle. Carbon dioxide cannot escape, so it dissolves into the wine and creates the natural sparkle.
6. Bottle conditioning
The wine rests while fermentation finishes and the wine settles. Many pet-nats are released younger than traditional-method sparkling wines because the goal is freshness rather than long lees-aged complexity.
7. Optional disgorgement
Some producers disgorge pet-nat, which means they remove sediment from the bottle before final release. Others do not. When a pet-nat is cloudy, that is often because yeast sediment remains in the bottle. This is normal for the style.
8. Crown cap closure
Pet-nats are commonly sealed with a crown cap, like a beer bottle. Crown caps are practical for wines that finish fermentation in the bottle and fit the direct, low-intervention nature of the style.
Pet-Nat vs Champagne
Pet-nat and Champagne are both sparkling wines, but they are made through different systems.
| Category | Pet-Nat | Champagne |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Ancestral method | Traditional method |
| Fermentation | Single fermentation finished in bottle | Primary fermentation, then second fermentation in bottle |
| Added yeast and sugar for bubbles | No | Yes, for the second fermentation |
| Origin | Older sparkling method, associated historically with regions such as Limoux | Champagne region, France |
| Appearance | Often cloudy or hazy | Usually clear |
| Alcohol | Often around 8% to 12% | Often around 12% to 13% |
| Bubbles | Softer, gentler, less polished | More persistent, structured mousse |
| Flavour | Fruit-driven, fresh, sometimes wild or yeasty | More controlled, often with bread, toast, or lees-aged notes |
| Closure | Crown cap is common | Cork and cage |
| Consistency | Can vary more bottle to bottle or vintage to vintage | Usually more consistent and controlled |
A practical rule: pet-nat is the older, more direct sparkling method. Champagne is the more controlled, refined descendant. Both can be useful at the table, but they are not the same wine style.
For a deeper comparison, read our existing article: How Pét-Nats Differ From Champagne.
Pet-Nat vs Prosecco vs Piquette
These three drinks are often grouped together because they can all be light, fresh, and sparkling. The production methods are different.
Pet-nat
Pet-nat is made from grape juice. It is bottled before fermentation finishes, and the remaining sugar creates bubbles inside the bottle. It is usually lower intervention and may be cloudy.
Prosecco
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine category. Most Prosecco is made through the Charmat method, where a second fermentation happens in a sealed pressurized tank. The wine is then filtered and bottled under pressure. The result is usually clear, bright, and consistent.
Piquette
Piquette is made from grape pomace rather than full grape juice. After grapes are pressed for wine, the leftover skins and seeds are rehydrated and fermented. Piquette is usually lower in alcohol and lighter in flavour. It belongs beside wine culturally, but it is not the same as pet-nat. Read our full guide to piquette for the details.
A short history of pet-nat
The ancestral method predates Champagne. Sparkling wines from Limoux in southwest France are often cited as some of the earliest documented sparkling wines, with records going back to the 1500s. These wines were made before Champagne became the global reference point for sparkling wine.
Champagne developed later into a more controlled and repeatable sparkling-wine system. Over time, the traditional method became the dominant model for premium sparkling wine.
The ancestral method never disappeared, but it became less visible. It survived in regional traditions in France and elsewhere, often as a local farmhouse or small-producer style.
In the 2000s and 2010s, pet-nat returned to broader attention through the natural wine movement. Producers and drinkers were looking for wines with fewer additives, less standardization, lower alcohol, and a closer connection to fermentation. Pet-nat fit that shift because it is immediate, expressive, and tied to the moment of fermentation.
Traynor began making pet-nat around 2016, early in Ontario's commercial pet-nat wave. Today, it is part of the winery's house style rather than a one-off experiment.
How pet-nat tastes
Pet-nat does not have one flavour. It can be white, rosé, red, dry, off-dry, clear, cloudy, gentle, aromatic, lean, fruity, or savoury. The grape variety and the fermentation shape the result.
Still, there are common expectations.
Pet-nat often has softer bubbles than Champagne. The pressure is usually gentler, and the texture may feel closer to frizzante than to a sharp sparkling wine.
It is often fruit-forward because it is released young and usually not aged for long periods on lees in the same way as traditional-method sparkling wines.
It may be cloudy. The haze usually comes from lees, which are dead yeast cells from fermentation. That cloudiness is not a flaw. It is often part of the style.
It may have wild fermentation notes. Depending on the wine, that can show as bread dough, hay, orchard fruit, cider-like notes, herbs, light earthiness, or a savoury edge.
It is usually lower in alcohol than many still wines and many traditional sparkling wines. The exact number depends on the grape sugar at harvest and the point at which the wine was bottled.
How to open and drink pet-nat
Serve pet-nat chilled. A good range is about 6°C to 10°C for most white and rosé pet-nats. Darker red pet-nats can be served slightly warmer, but still cool.
Use a wine glass rather than a flute. Pet-nat's bubbles are usually softer, and a wine glass lets the aromas open up.
Open with a bottle opener. Most pet-nats are crown-capped.
If the wine has sediment, choose how you want to pour it. You can gently invert the bottle before opening to mix the lees through the wine, or keep the bottle still and pour carefully to leave sediment behind. Both approaches are valid. Mixing the lees usually gives more texture and fermentation character. Leaving it behind usually gives a cleaner pour.
Drink pet-nat fresh. Most pet-nats are made for near-term drinking rather than long cellaring. A general target is within one to two years of vintage, unless the producer suggests otherwise.
Food pairings are broad. The acidity and bubbles work with salt, fat, spice, and freshness. Raw bar, oysters, sushi, fried fish, tacos, soft cheese, charcuterie, brunch dishes, summer salads, grilled vegetables, and lightly spicy food can all work.
Traynor's pet-nats
Traynor currently makes several pet-nats across different grapes and styles. The point is not to make one generic sparkling wine. The point is to show how the ancestral method behaves with different varieties grown or made in Ontario.
Green Meanie Pet-Nat
Green Meanie Pet-Nat is made from 100% Vidal. It is light straw gold in colour, lightly sparkling, and currently listed at 10.1% alcohol with 3 g/L residual sugar.
The current tasting notes show Bosc pear, crab apple, and candy floss on the nose, with a light, effervescent palate, subtle sweetness, zesty acidity, and a nectarine note on the finish. It is VQA Ontario and is also listed through the LCBO.
Bang Bang
Bang Bang is Traynor's rosé pet-nat made from 100% Gamay Noir. The current vintage is listed at 9.5% alcohol with 3 g/L residual sugar.
The wine is described as lively and fruity, with strawberry and watermelon on the palate and a dry finish. The current LCBO page also describes bubblegum on the nose and dry raspberry on the palate.
Hot Rocket Pet-Nat
Hot Rocket Pet-Nat is made from 100% Baco Noir. It is a deep purple, Lambrusco-inspired pet-nat with a lighter, effervescent body. The current product page lists it at 10.3% alcohol with less than 3 g/L residual sugar.
The current tasting notes include tart cherries and fresh blackcurrant. The LCBO page summarizes the style as fizzy and fiery, with cherry and pepper.
Chill Thrill
Chill Thrill is currently listed as a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Chardonnay. It is made using ancestral methods and is listed at 11.2% alcohol with 3 g/L residual sugar.
The current tasting notes show peach, pineapple, and banana aromatics, with effervescence, nuanced sweetness, and vibrant acidity.
You can browse the full Sparkling Wines collection or see which wines are currently listed on the LCBO availability page.
Frequently asked questions
What does pet-nat mean?
Pet-nat is short for pétillant naturel, French for naturally sparkling.
Is pet-nat the same as Champagne?
No. Pet-nat uses the ancestral method, where a single fermentation finishes in the bottle. Champagne uses the traditional method, where a finished still wine undergoes a second fermentation in bottle with added yeast and sugar.
Is pet-nat older than Champagne?
Yes. The ancestral method predates Champagne. Limoux in southwest France is often cited for early documented sparkling wines from the 1500s.
Why is pet-nat cloudy?
Pet-nat is often cloudy because it may be bottled without full filtration or disgorgement. The haze usually comes from lees, which are dead yeast cells from fermentation.
Why is pet-nat sealed with a crown cap?
A crown cap is practical for wines that continue fermenting in the bottle. It handles pressure, is easy to apply, and fits the direct production style.
What grapes are used for pet-nat?
Almost any wine grape can be used. Traynor uses Vidal, Gamay Noir, Baco Noir, and a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay blend across our current pet-nat lineup.
Is pet-nat sweet or dry?
Pet-nat can be dry or off-dry. Many current pet-nats are dry or nearly dry, but the exact sweetness depends on how much residual sugar remains after fermentation.
What is the alcohol content of pet-nat?
Many pet-nats fall around 8% to 12% alcohol, though there are exceptions. Traynor's current pet-nat lineup ranges from 9.5% to 11.2% alcohol.
How long does pet-nat last?
Most pet-nats are best within one to two years of vintage. They are usually made for freshness rather than long aging.
Are Traynor pet-nats vegan?
Yes. All Traynor wines are vegan-friendly and made without animal-derived fining agents.
Closing
Want to taste what pet-nat means in the glass? Try Green Meanie, Bang Bang, Hot Rocket, or Chill Thrill direct from us, or browse the Sparkling Wines collection. Green Meanie, Bang Bang, and Hot Rocket are also listed on the LCBO availability page. If you are nearby in Prince Edward County, visit the winery in Hillier for a tasting.
