Pét-Nat: The Rise of Ancestral Sparkling Wines

Ancestral method sparkling wines are trending globally. Also known as pét-nat—an acronym of the French "Pétillant Naturel," which translates to "naturally sparkling"—these are joyful and uninhibited wines, distinguished by the liveliness provided by carbon dioxide and the straightforwardness of a simple winemaking process, free from added sugar, sulfites, or aging on the lees, typical of cava and champagne. The crown cap—metallic, like those found on beer and soft drinks—used in most pét-nats, and their colorful, disruptive branding, place them at the forefront of global wine production, as a bubbly version of natural wines. However, ancestral sparkling wines actually revive a winemaking model that dates back five centuries.

In Spain, the use of native varieties of each region and fidelity to the most environmentally friendly viticultural principles are, without a doubt, the traits that the majority of ancestral wines share. But before continuing to delve deeper into Spanish pét-nats, let's find out more about the "pétillant naturel" method.

Pét-Nat, Sparkling Wines older than Champagne

In fact, the "pétillant naturel" method predates the famous “traditional” sparkling wines. It was developed around 1513 by Benedictine monks in the French town of Limoux. Essentially, the method involves starting the wine's fermentation in a vat or barrel and finishing it in the same bottle. Unlike sparkling wines made using the “traditional” method, pét-nats do not involve the addition of sugar or expedition liqueur, nor the use of yeast, so fermentation occurs spontaneously. They also skip the disgorging process, which, in cava, removes the lees from the bottle before final corking. As a result, ancestral sparkling wines often have a slight cloudiness, indicating the presence of yeast particles in suspension.

Thanks to this process, which aimed to control the "internal forces of the wine," the monks of Limoux began producing Vin de Blanquette or Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale, a traditional wine from this region and the world’s oldest sparkling wine. The ancestral method has managed to survived through the years even as most sparkling wine producers globally adopted the “traditional” systems.

In recent years, however, new generations of winemakers have looked to the past to revive the ancestral method, which has now spread worldwide. Unbound by the rigid stereotype of traditional sparkling wines, these revived pét-nats, which are setting trends in the wine scene, are made from multiple grape varieties, resulting in a wide range of styles. These range from the simplest wines, with fragrant expression and fleeting presence, to the more serious and ambitious ones, capable of maturing for years in the bottle, transmitting the grape variety’s character with precision and faithfully representing the traits of their terroir of origin.

The explosion of the Ancestral Wines in Spain

In Spain, the rise of pét-nats began in the Catalan wine regions, although the trend soon spread to other areas, starting with Valencian Community and then the rest of the country. One of the pioneers in reviving the ancestral method was Rafael Sala from the Vega de Ribes winery, who introduced the first pét-nats in the Garraf region (Penedès) in 2008: a single-varietal xarel·lo, another of malvasía de Sitges, and a rosé made from white garnacha and sumoll, all under the Ancestral brand.

Currently, Catalonia leads the production of Spanish ancestral sparkling wines, with notable and diverse offerings such as those produced by Roc and Leo Gramona in their young project, L’Enclòs de Peralba; the organic pét-nats from the Pujol-Busquets (Alta Allela) family in Alella, under the Aus brand; the unique Viña del Mas made by Pepe Raventós in Conca del Riu Anoia; or the sparkling Taïka produced by Castell d'Encus from mountain vineyards in the Pyrenees of Lleida. Raül Bobet, creator of this last wine, affirms that "the ancestral method allows us to depend less on the extraction effect of the lees, enabling us to better express our terroir."

Beyond Catalonia’s wine regions, many pét-nats currently enrich the Spanish wine scene. Examples include the varied range of ancestral sparkling wines produced by brothers José and Miguel Gómez from Vinifícate winery in Cádiz, using local varieties like palomino and tintilla de Rota. Or the two wines presented by Verónica Ortega in Bierzo, under the Gloc brand, created in collaboration with the Gómez brothers. Another example is the innovative Ancestral Ecológico developed in Lanzarote by El Grifo winery, made from the island’s most widespread grape, malvasía volcánica.

Time will tell if the rise of these "new bubbles" in Spain has the ephemeral status of a trend or if the production of ancestral wines is consolidated, as a perennial alternative for lovers of sparkling wines. At the moment, the national map of pet-nat is just beginning to be drawn, with the contribution of new references presented by winegrowers from the multiple vineyard regions of this country.  This selection works as an example of the various pét-nat that are being produced in Spain.

WINES

1- Taïka 2017
Castell d'Encus
Costers del Segre DO
After his experience as a winemaker at Torres wineries, in 2001 Raül Bobet established his most personal project in the Catalan Pyrenees, betting on mountain viticulture as a response to the challenges of climate change. Taïka, his ancestral method sparkling wine, is an excellent introduction to Castell d'Encus. Although it differs from most pét-nats produced in Spain due to its varietal composition (equal parts sauvignon blanc and sémillon), a rigorous vinification process—without added sugar in the second fermentation—and a patient aging of 70 months in the bottle set it apart. The result is a sparkling wine with a singular character, marked by the aromatic exuberance of sauvignon—rich in floral and exotic fruit notes—the firm structure provided by sémillon, and the complexity and persistence from its lengthy bottle aging.

2- Aus Pét Nat 2022
Alta Alella
Alella, Catalonia (Without DO)
The Busquets family, with extensive experience in crafting high-quality cavas and organic wines, has also ventured into the ancestral sparkling wine method with this seductive pét-nat. Made from the pansa blanca variety—typical of the small Alella region’s vineyards and known as xarel·lo in other Catalan wine regions—Aus Pét-Nat adheres to sustainable viticulture principles to offer a fresh, sensual expression, with fragrant floral and white fruit accents, a subtle salty note, and light bubbles that enhance the palate.

3- El Grifo Ancestral Ecológico 2023
El Grifo
Lanzarote DO
Lanzarote’s most important winery, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2024—making it one of Spain’s oldest wine producers—is experiencing a dynamic period. Their innovative spirit has led them to experiment with winemaking, such as this Ancestral Ecológico, part of El Grifo's "Harvest Experiences" collection. This sparkling wine brings a new perspective on malvasía volcánica, the most widespread variety on the island. Made from grapes harvested in a single plot in the Masdache area, El Grifo’s organic pét-nat boasts an exuberant expression of white fruit, with rich exotic notes (passion fruit, mango), floral (orange blossom), and citrus notes that define its unique profile.

4- L'Enclòs de Peralba Pét-Nat 2022
L'Enclòs de Peralba
Penedès, Catalonia (Without DO)
Faithful to a family legacy linked to the production of the finest sparkling wines in Penedès since 1850, Roc and Leo Gramona have created this exemplary pét-nat that enhances their own project, L’Enclòs de Peralba. Vinified under the principles of the ancestral method, without straying from the biodynamic conviction that defines the Gramona family, this wine reveals the rich varietal expression of malvasía de Sitges, a minority grape in this area of Catalonia. A characterful sparkling wine, rich in lavender and fresh fruit notes, with delicate bubbles and balanced acidity.

5- Viña del Mas Ancestral 2018
Vins Pepe Raventós
Penedès, Catalonia (Without DO)
Pepe Raventós ventured into producing this ancestral sparkling wine ten years ago, finding the perfect space in his home garage, next to his family’s winery, Raventós i Blanc, to focus on producing natural wines and unleash his most radical experiments. 100% xarel·lo, Viña del Mas clearly expresses the character of its origin, the Conca del Riu Anoia, with its calcareous and clayey soils where marine fossils emerge. A unique wine, with long bottle aging potential, that seduces with its noble austerity, depth, and purity, offering subtle iodine accents, umami notes, and rich white fruit sensations.

6- Amorro Tinto Espumoso
Vinifícate
Cádiz, Andalusia (Without DO)
In 2011, brothers José and Miguel Gómez started their winery project, Vinifícate, aiming to highlight Cádiz’s native varieties by making artisanal, low-intervention wines that could reveal the purest character of their terroir. Among them stands out Amorro Tinto Espumoso, one of the rare pét-nats made exclusively from red grapes. Made from 100% tintilla de Rota, harvested in the Jerez pago of Balbaína, it is crafted using whole bunches, macerated for 7 days. It matures for 8 months on the lees to round out its winey, fragrant, sweet, and lively profile.

7- Gloc Ancestral Blanco 2020
Verónica Ortega
Bierzo, Castile-León (Without DO)
Verónica Ortega, one of the most prominent winemakers in the emerging Bierzo wine scene, highlights the palomino grape in this ancestral method sparkling wine. Made from very old vines (95 years) grown in the village of Villabuena, at 650 meters altitude, it is an exotic, fragrant pét-nat with notable minerality. Like its red counterpart (Gloc Mencía & Jerez), which uses the emblematic red variety of Bierzo, this Gloc Ancestral results from Ortega’s collaboration with the Gómez brothers, producers of the Cádiz pét-nats under the Mahara brand.

These are, of course, not the only pét-nats that illustrate the universe of the "new bubbles" in Spain. There are many others, and those yet to come. All of them nourish the interest in longer-lived sparkling wines, which today attract the attention of new generations of consumers around the world. Ancestral wines, yes, but at the same time extremely modern. This selection serves as an example of the various pét-nat that are being produced in Spain.