A fresh, fruity pét-nat perfect for fish (#WinePW)

Winter is for reds, right?

Red wine complements the meaty stews and heavier meals we tend to favor when the weather turns frightful. I feel grateful for the array of truly wonderful and diverse reds I’ve tasted recently – lean and powerful Rasteau, hearty Texas red blends, and elegant and light Torrette.

Yet, it’s refreshing to get a change of pace, and the Matthias Hager Zweigelt pét-nat is certainly that and more.

The Wine Pairing Weekend group of intrepid bloggers is exploring pét-nat wines for this month’s Twitter chat on Saturday, Dec. 14. Be sure to check out the blogs listed at the bottom of this post and join us at 11 am ET by following the hashtag, #WinePW.

What is pét-nat?
Pét-nat is short for pétillant-naturel, a naturally sparkling wine made in the méthode ancestrale.

Our host, Cindy, from Grape Experiences, describes this wine category and fermentation method as follows:

“Pét-nat is a sparkling wine that is bottled when partially fermented. Champagne, for example, is produced using méthode traditionelle whereby sugar and yeast are added to a bottle of dry, still wine so that a second fermentation results in bubbles. However, pét-nat undergoes the remainder of its first and only fermentation in the bottle where carbon dioxide and the sediment of yeast lees are trapped. After a period of time, often as short as a few weeks or months, the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the wine and voila! Bubbles! At this point, the pét-nat is ready to sip and savor.”

The region and the winery
Matthias Hager owns about 32 acres of vineyards in and around the small winegrowing village of Mollands in Kamptal, Austria.

Kamptal is home to two signature Austrian white varieties you may know: Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. The region’s varied soils are 250 to 320 million years old and include volcanic components. Grapes benefit from the interaction between hot breezes from the Pannonian plain to the east and cooler air from the Waldviertel toward the northwest. Warm days and cool nights result in the fruity aromatics and naturally vibrant acidity characteristic of grapes grown in this region.

Hager started making wine in 1992 as an apprentice to his parents. In 2005 he converted his vineyards and fields to organic farming. During this time, he also got in touch with farmers who introduced him to the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner and Biodynamic grape cultivation. Steiner suggested that farms should be thought of as living organisms, not factories. This approach spoke to Hager whose winery became Biodynamic in 2010. According to Raw Wine, he is the only Demeter-certified vintner in Kamptal who exports his wines to the United States.

The wine
2016 Matthias Hager Zweigelt Pét-Nat Blanc de Noir
100% Zweigelt

Zweigelt is a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. It was developed in the 1920s by Professor Fritz Zweigelt, but only gained recognition after World War II. About one third of Austrian wine consists of red varieties, and Zweigelt, at 14% of that total production, is now the most widely planted red grape in the country. Slightly violet-reddish in color and with soft tannins, the grape yields full-bodied and long-lasting wines with cherry notes.  

Hager’s sparkling Zweigelt pét-nat is a blanc de noir, a sparkling wine made from the juice of red-skinned grapes. Unfined, unfiltered, and with no added sulphites and no temperature control, the wine is fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts only.

Here’s a description from Raw Wine:

“For this product, we bottle the fermenting juice and leave it with the yeasts and the natural sugar in the bottle so that the fermentation continues in the bottle and produces natural carbon dioxide. It is a very natural way to produce sparkling wine – without any additives. The grapes for our Pet Nat Zweigelt grow on a clay soil at about 320m [1,000 feet] above sea level. Important for Pet Nat is the time of bottling. You need still some sugar and enough working yeasts so that the fermentation can continue in the bottle. Too much sugar can also stop fermentation, so you need a good intuition.”

My tasting notes: Pale peach in color. Loads of aromatic peach and apricot on the nose, with a slight hint of rose petal. On the palate, I get grapefruit, kiwi, and a long, bright, lemony finish. Zesty, medium+ acidity and fine bubbles. Not the least bit tart. I was concerned the 2016 would still be drinkable, and it is. A little bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle doesn’t bother me. That said, I recommend looking for the 2018 vintage. Alcohol: 11%. Price: $19.99.

This was my first pét-nat. Now I’m hooked! I’ll be on the lookout for more.

The pairing – Fish, fish, fish!
If you love fish – even in winter – this wine is for you.

We tasted the wine with three different types of fish: pickled herring in wine sauce, baked cod topped with a mild tomato curry, and a favorite standby – spaghetti and sardines. The wine loved all the pairings, but especially the pickled herring. That vinegar in the pickling seems to be the trick.

I hope you enjoy the following posts on pét-nat wines. Please join us for the #WinePW Twitter chat Saturday, Dec. 14. It’s sure to be enlightening!

• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen explores Pet Nat Food Pairings Made Easy with Gilbert Wines.
• Jane of Always Ravenous discovers that she enjoys Tasting and Pairing Pet-Nat Sparkling Wine.
• Susannah at Avvinare offers Blanquette de Limoux Paired with Salmon over Orzo.
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares Unexpected Pairings for a Pet-Nat Duo from Donkey & Goat: Coconut Beef Curry and Holiday Cookies.
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator pairs 2 Biodynamic Loire Pet Nats: Free Mousse and Bulle Nature.
• Nicole from Somm’s Table has an Around the World Pet Nat Party.
• Lauren from Swirling Dervish explains Pairings for Pet-Nat from Here (NY) and There (Czech Republic).
• And host Cindy of Grape Experiences introduces Soalheiro Espumante Bruto Nature 2016: A Versatile, Complex Pét-Nat of Alvarinho.