Champagne, Crémant or Pet Nat, what’s the difference?

December 17, 2024 - 2 comments

Champagne, Crémant or Pet Nat, what’s the difference?

With sparkling wines being poured at our festive tables, we wanted to provide a quick guide to understand their differences.

Three Main Methods for Producing Sparkling Wines:

1. The Ancestral Method: The oldest way to make sparkling wine

After harvesting, the grapes are pressed to extract the juice. This juice is fermented in a tank, allowing naturally occurring yeasts on the grape skins to start the fermentation process. Before fermentation is complete, the partially fermented juice is bottled while it still contains residual sugars. Fermentation resumes in the bottle, converting sugars into alcohol and releasing CO₂, which creates the bubbles.

Example: Pet’ Nat

Pet’ Nat, short for "pétillant naturel," refers to naturally sparkling wines. There are no national or European regulations governing this term, and it does not belong to an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). Produced using the ancestral method, Pet’ Nat is crafted in numerous wine regions worldwide. In France, regions like the Loire, Languedoc, and Alsace produce Pet’ Nat, but it is also made in Italy, Spain, Australia, and beyond.

The grape varieties used for Pet’ Nat vary widely depending on the region, often featuring local grapes. White grapes produce fresher, more acidic wines, while red grapes yield more structured or rosé-style sparkling wines. The aging time is typically shorter compared to sparkling wines made by the traditional method.

2. The Traditional Method

After harvesting, the grapes are vinified like still wines, undergoing a first fermentation in tanks. The resulting base wine is then bottled, along with a "liqueur de tirage" (a mix of sugar, yeast, and aged wine). A second fermentation, called "prise de mousse," takes place in the bottle, where sugar is converted into alcohol and CO₂ is produced, along with sediment.

Next comes aging and riddling. Bottles are stored at low temperatures for several months, as required by the appellation. During riddling, the bottles are gradually tilted with their necks downward and rotated, causing the sediment to collect in the neck. This sediment is then removed during disgorgement.

Finally, a "liqueur de dosage" (a mixture of cane sugar or rectified concentrated must) is added. The amount of sugar added determines the wine’s category: Brut, Extra Brut, Sec, Demi-Sec, or Doux.

Examples:

- Crémant

Crémant is a sparkling wine with AOC status, made using the traditional method. Eight regions in France have Crémant AOCs, including Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Die, Jura, Limoux, Loire, and Savoie. Grapes used include Champagne varieties like Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as region-specific varieties like Riesling in Alsace or Chenin Blanc in the Loire. A minimum aging period of 12 months is required.

Some winemakers produce sparkling wines using the traditional method but outside AOC rules. These are sold as "Vin de France" and labeled as "Traditional Method Wines," not Crémant.

- Champagne

Champagne is a Crémant, but the name applies exclusively to sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region. Protected by the AOC Champagne since 1936, the production area covers 34,000 hectares. Only wines made within this area can use the term "Méthode Champenoise," though it is technically the same process as the traditional method. Champagne has stricter requirements, such as a minimum aging period of 15 months. The characteristic grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier.

3. The Martinotti-Charmat Method: Fermentation in a closed tank

This method shares similarities with the traditional method but differs in one key aspect: the second fermentation occurs in a pressurized tank instead of a bottle. Once the base wine is made, the "prise de mousse" happens in closed tanks where yeast, sugar, and wine are added. This technique is less expensive and therefore considered less prestigious.

Example: Prosecco

Conventional Prosecco is a sparkling wine governed by DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) or DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) regulations, with DOCG being of higher quality. Prosecco is produced in northeastern Italy, between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia (24,000 hectares). The main grape variety is Glera, often blended with others like Perera, Verdiso, or Pinot Grigio.

Not all Proseccos follow this method. Prosecco col fondo is a traditional wine made through natural bottle re-fermentation without filtration or disgorgement. The must ferments in stainless steel tanks to produce the base wine, which is bottled with natural yeasts and residual sugars. In the bottle, fermentation creates bubbles, and the yeast settles at the bottom (col fondo).

Key Takeaways:

- Champagne is a type of Crémant but is exclusively produced in Champagne with longer aging times and specific grape varieties.
- The term "Méthode Champenoise" applies only to sparkling wines made in Champagne under the strict regulations of the AOC Champagne, established in 1936.

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