Summer technically started months ago but in San Francisco it’s only just starting to feel like it. With warm days forecasted ahead it’s finally time to start enjoying our favorite beverages outside. Personally I’m keeping a couple pet nats ready in the fridge for backyard barbecues, picnic lunches, and dinner with friends. My recent go to’s are from Birichino as they’re clean, bright and loved by everyone I’ve shared them with.

Pet nats are a fairly recent trend among winemakers. With the demand for sparkling wines only getting higher many producers have expanded their production to include a few pet nats. But what is a pet nat? It’s simply a wine made in the méthode ancestrale style where winemakers bottle wine that still has some sugar and yeast and lets it finish fermentation in the bottle. This results in wines that are sparkling and fresh with some autolytic qualities. Winemakers favor this method because it’s relatively easy to pull off compared with other methods of sparkling wine making.

Birichino’s wines have been popping up on “best of” lists all over and for good reason. The Santa Cruz winery makes incredible low intervention wines from coastal old vine vineyards at a very affordable price. The quality for price is nearly impossible to beat and wine lovers have been catching on. One of their pinots was even served at the White House’s thanksgiving dinner a couple of years back.

Their pet nats are a particular stand out because they are consistently clean and delicious whereas quite a few pet nats from other producers can be pretty funky and unreliable. They’re an incredible value for quality with fun and nuanced flavors without champagne prices.

Birichino Mokelumne River Lodi Carignane Petulant Naturel 2022 $25.99
Made from old vine carignan from a vineyard planted in the 1930’s. Bubbly, bright, and refreshing. Crunchy, crisp fruit on the palate - fresh cherry, tart currant, and grapefruit.

Birichino Malvasia Bianca Petulant Naturel 2021 $24.99
Lightly effervescent, refreshing, soft and fragrant. Honeysuckle and citrus blossoms on the nose with a palate full of fruit. White peaches, minneola tangelos with the rind and poached pears.

Birichino Malvasia Bianca Skin-Contact Petulant Naturel 2021 $29.99
Skin contact unlocks deeper flavors of citrus oil and rose. Fresh, saline and effervescent with juicy satsuma mandarins and nectarines.