How to Find the Perfect Pét-nat Wine & Chocolate Pairings
As a fun experiment to see how loudly you can make them scream, try asking a sommelier at a fancy restaurant which of their wines pairs well with chocolate. Nothing sets wine professionals and makers on edge more than the public’s seemingly endless—and in their mind, idiotic—quest to pair chocolate and wine.
“You know what a great pairing with wine is? Cheese,” jokes director of sales Richard Heritage, of William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hall, N.J. “Every time you ask a sommelier or chef what chocolate goes well with which wine, they’ll tell you that. It just works better. But guess what? People love chocolate, and they love wine, and they want to enjoy them together. Especially in February.”
Heritage has a point. The art and science of food pairing date back centuries, with the “what grows together goes together” mantra ruling most classic pairings. As far as we know, there are no amazing cocoa farms in Bordeaux, and no grand crus on the Ivory Coast, but the most classic food and wine pairings—oysters and Chablis, apple tart and Chenin Blanc, lamb cutlets and Rioja, foie gras and Sauternes, grass-fed steak and Malbec—are caught or raised alongside nearby vines.
Thankfully, there’s an especially delicious loophole that wine-loving chocoholics can zip right through: Pét-Nat.
Pétillant Naturel is a French term that means naturally sparkling. In reality, it’s a slightly sassier and definitely wilder version of Champagne and one that encompasses many flavors, styles, and grape varieties. Pét-Nat is bottled during initial fermentation, with sugars from the grapes providing bubbles, and with particular varieties, an added touch of sweetness.
Pairing wine and any type of food are all about balance, so a touch of sweetness in food will make many classic still wines taste bitter, overly dry, and sour. We spoke with wine and chocolate experts to figure out how to pair Pét-Nat and chocolate so that you get pure joy, deeper complexity and pairings that playoff and compliment each other.
General Guidelines
Think texture, flavor, complements, and contrasts when creating your pairings. “A fleshy Pét-Nat with soft bubbles can complement any chocolate with red fruits, dried fruit, or liqueurs,” says Gianni Cavicchi, sommelier at New York’s One 19 Wine Bar. “For bitter dark chocolate, the slightly sweet and red fruit-forward flavors of this Pet-Nat reset the palate from that bitter punch. And with milk chocolate or creamy chocolate, the tiny bubbles and fleshy texture brightens the pairing experience.”
Chocolatier Hernan Lauber of small-batch Oodaalolly, who aims to bring Filipino chocolate to the masses, says that the dryness of the Pét-Nat is key to pairing success. “If you want balance and contrast, which is ideal, the darker the chocolate, the sweeter the Pét-Nat will taste,” Lauber says. In intensely dark chocolate, in other words, should be paired with bone-dry Pét-Nat to bring out complexity in the wine, while white chocolate and sweeter Pét-Nat expression would do well together.
Pair Pét-Nat Rosato & Milk Chocolate
“My favorite pick is Buccia Nera Confondo Rosato, Pét-Nat, Method Ancestrale, Toscana IGT 2020 (organic and vegan; matured in bottle for 4 months with no disgorgement),” says Cavicchi. “With a dusty pink hue, this unfiltered and persistent bubbly pet-nat is made of 100% Ciliegiolo grapes and has notes of wild strawberry, cherry, white currant, and rose petals. Ciliegiolo (Italian for “little cherry”) is an Italian red grape from Tuscany that has been used in Chianti blends, and it works really well with a wide array of classic chocolate bon-bons, but especially well with sweet milk chocolate. One19 Wine Bar + Food will be featuring Buccia Nera in our ‘romantic bubble flight’ for Valentine’s Day.” Especially a bar of fruit-forward milk chocolate.
One to Try: Fruition’s Dark Milk Chocolate
Pair Pét-Nat Riesling & Chocolate Covered Pineapple
Unionville Vineyards has been shattering preconceptions about what the Garden State is capable of for decades, scoring critical acclaim from the likes of Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate in recent years. So as much as I’d like to recommend their stellar estate-grown Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for a pairing, in reality, their funny, sunny Pét-Nat Riesling, with its notes of candied ginger, buttery toast and candied apples is the perfect way to enjoy chocolate-covered fruit.
“The best way to enjoy it is with dried pineapple or apricots drizzled in dark chocolate,” says winemaker (he’s currently helping out at Unionville) and “The Spirit of Rye” author Carlo DeVito. “It’s not the most obvious choice, but it really works.”
One to Try: Torn Ranch’s Apricot Chocolate
Pair Pét-Nat Cabernet Franc & Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans
Macari Vineyards on the North Fork has been bottling its sparkling Cabernet Franc since 2013. “It’s developed a reputation as a high-quality, versatile wine that pairs nicely with food and sells out quickly,” says Gabrielle Macari, general manager. This sipper is, as Macari says, extraordinarily versatile. With notes of crunchy cranberries, strawberries, and Mediterranean herbs, it will pair well with a variety of Haute and casual dishes, from start (smoked trout) to entrée (flank steak) to dessert. The most delectable pairing I tried with the Macari Horses is espresso beans doused with dark chocolate, but a dark chocolate bar flecked with coffee was a close runner-up.
One to Try: Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans from Mecha Chocolate
Another to Try: Oodaalolly’s Dark Milk Chocolate with Coffee
Pair Pét-Nat Rosé (Cabernet Franc & Merlot) & Chocolate-Raspberry Ganache
William Heritage Winery is giving the people what they want this February with a month-long chocolate and wine pairing at the winery. A flight of four chocolates and wines is on tap for $25, and one of the crowd's favorites every year is their Pet Nat pairing.“Our Pét-Nat rose, made with Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes works so well with the handmade chocolates from Mecha Chocolate,” he says. “These chocolatiers are incredible. They make everything from scratch, and we spend a lot of time creating the perfect pairing every year. I’m really excited to serve our rosé with their raspberry chocolate ganache chocolates. The raspberries in the chocolate and the wine complement and deepen each other perfectly.”
One To Try: Mecha Chocolate’s Ganache Collection
Pair Pét-Nat Rosé (Tempranillo) & White Chocolate
Julie Kuhlken, co-owner and the director of hospitality at Pedernales Cellars in Texas Hill Country, is more than happy to cater to the popular desire to pair chocolate and vino, especially around Valentine’s Day. “I personally love the creamy sweetness of the white chocolate with our Kyla Pét Nat,” Kuhlken says. “The alcohol is very moderate and the lightness of the white compliments the Tempranillo grapes.”
Kyla (pronounced “shoola”) means “chill” in Swedish. The large bubbles, bright light red berry charm, fizz and subtle bready notes are as laid-back as they come, perfect with the delicate, creamy, floral notes that white chocolate bring to the party.
One to Try: Milkboy White Chocolate With Bourbon Vanilla
Another To Try: Winter White Chocolate and Creamy Fleur de Sel From Oodaalolly
Pair Pét-Nat Rosé (Marquette) & Fruit Flavored Chocolate
Pét-Nat, already a rebel style of wine, can be especially fun when made with hybrid grapes. At Shelburne Vineyards, where the team has been pioneering Vermont wine-growing and making for decades, a full exploration of flavor and possibility is the name of the game.
Winemaker Ethan Joseph and tasting room and wine club manager Kate Cartwright agree that the best way to sip their Marquette rosé, Figure 3, is with flavored chocolate. Joseph digs it with raspberry, blueberry and cherry chocolate. Cartwright takes it a step further. “The Marquette would be great with a dark chocolate containing dried cherries or raspberries, but it’s also really tasty with a dark chocolate cheesecake topped with fresh cherries,” she says. “The tang of the cream cheese pairs with the zip of Figure 3.”
Pét-Nat and chocolate gives the people—and the producers—what they want. Rule-breaking, delicious fun that actually works.
One To Try: Lakkris + Raspberry Chocolate From Omnon
Another To Try: Cherry + Chocolate Oodaalolly Harana Serenade Bar