How can I open a bottle of pét-nat without making a mess?
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Dear Dr. Vinny,
I sometimes have trouble opening pétillant naturel wines without making a mess. I’ve had bottles fizz uncontrollably and even experienced what seem like miniature explosions. Do you have any tips for opening bottles of pét-nat?
—Kato, Tbilisi, Georgia
Dear Kato,
Pétillant naturel, or pét-nat for short, is a type of sparkling wine made using the méthode ancestrale. This means the wine is bottled before the primary fermentation is complete, and then a secondary fermentation happens in the bottle. Bubbles are produced during this second fermentation. Pét-nats aren’t disgorged, which means the wines are often cloudy, with noticeable sediment.
As the name suggests, the ancestral method is an ancient way of making sparkling wine, and it’s also inexpensive compared to the méthode Champenoise (or traditional method). It’s often thought of as a low-intervention style that gives winemakers a lot of room to experiment. Another plus is that unlike wines made using the traditional method, pét-nats don’t require extended aging, so they’re available for sale much sooner.
The style is enjoying quite a resurgence, and you’ll notice that the wines are frequently bottled under crown caps, like beer bottles. But they shouldn’t explode! The method is (in)famously hard to control, so it’s possible that your bottles were simply the result of a winemaking experiment gone awry. While pét-nats are usually less fizzy than wines made using the Champagne and Charmat (or tank) methods, it’s possible that the bottle fermentation was more vigorous than intended, creating too much pressure … and your unexpected explosion.
What can you do to minimize the chances of a fizzy mess? Make sure the bottle is cold—I recommend between 40° F and 45° F—before you open it. Carbon dioxide is more soluble at cold temperatures, so the colder your bottle, the lower your chances of excessive bubbles. The best advice may be the simplest: Try not to shake or move the bottle before opening, and if you can, pop the cork (I mean, the cap!) over a sink or even outside. It might also help to crack it open slowly—break the seal on the crown cap to release some pressure, then wait a moment before fully removing the cap and pouring the wine.
Good luck, and enjoy!
—Dr. Vinny
