This is a seriously fun Pét-nat that was a joy to drink!

For the uninitiated, Pét-nat, or Méthode Ancestrale, is a method of sparkling wine production used all over the world. Unlike traditional-method sparkling wines, like Champagne, which add sugar and yeast to dry, still wine in order trigger a second fermentation and produce bubbles, pét-nat works by bottling wine that is only partially fermented. As the first and only fermentation continues in bottle, the resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) is trapped. After a period of rest that can be as short as a couple of months, the gas is absorbed into the wine as bubbles and the pét-nat is ready to drink.   With an increased focus on minimal intervention, natural winemaking this style of sparkling wine is becoming more and more popular.  What I love about this style of sparkling wine is that  they can be made anywhere from any grape and in any color — red, white, rosé and even orange.

This is one of two wines Birichino makes from Lodi’s Bechthold Vineyard, planted in 1886! The other is their Cinsault rouge. They use the saignéed juice from the Cinsault rouge as the base for this wine.

Color – Cloudy watermelon pink/red
Aromas – Initial funky leesy aromas, but after a bit of air, red fruits, violets and savory dried herbs emerge.
Body – Medium-bodied, frothy and very fresh
Taste – Strawberry, tart raspberry, watermelon, and a hint of kiwi flavors complicated with, very appealing to me, savory saline notes.
Finish – Medium

13% abv| SRP – $25|90pts

This is a seriously fun Pét-nat that was a joy to drink! It paired well with grilled chicken and veggies!

About Birichino

Birichino, (pronounced biri-kino) was founded in Santa Cruz in 2008 by owner/winemakers Alex Krause and John Locke.    The pair have deep experience in making and selling wine in California, France, and Italy.

John worked from 1990 to 2007 with the legendary Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard, with (the equally legendary) André Ostertag of Domaine Ostertag in Alsace in 1993, and with a host of small producers across Italy and south-western France.  Alex started in 1992 with Randall, worked with John in the cellar, and then escaped to the sales side in the later 90’s to eventually serve today as Director of Export Sales for Bonny Doon Vineyard.

They primarily focus on sourcing fruit from old vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation (though they’ve also sourced fruit from as far as Lodi and the Sierra Foothills),  They have a minimal intervention winemaking aesthetic  that’s all about crafting lower-alcohol, food friendly wines with a sense of place.

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