Pét-Nat, Orange Wine, Skin Contact: A Glossary in Plain Words
The words you'll meet on a natural-wine list, each in a sentence or two: pét-nat, orange wine, skin contact, zero-zero, glou-glou, brett, mousiness and more.
Natural-wine lists use a vocabulary of their own. Here are the words you'll meet most, in plain language, with a link to the full entry in the glossary.
Styles
Pét-nat. Short for pétillant naturel: sparkling wine bottled before its first fermentation has finished, so the last of the sugar turns into bubbles in the bottle. Usually gentler fizz than Champagne, often a little cloudy, and different from bottle to bottle. Glossary · The pét-nat guide
Orange wine (skin contact). White grapes made like a red: the juice ferments with the skins for days or months, which gives colour from gold to amber, some tannin, and a drier, more textured taste. "Amber wine" and "skin-contact white" mean the same thing. It has nothing to do with oranges. Glossary · Orange wine explained
Qvevri. Large clay vessels, buried in the ground, used in Georgia to ferment and age wine, often with the skins. UNESCO lists the Georgian qvevri method as intangible cultural heritage. Glossary
Amphora. A clay vessel for fermenting or ageing wine; the word is used for clay pots in general outside Georgia. Glossary
Glou-glou. French for glug-glug: light, juicy wine that's easy to drink, usually served cool. Glossary
Piquette. A light, low-alcohol, often fizzy drink made by soaking already-pressed grape skins in water and fermenting again. Glossary
How it's made
Zero-zero. Nothing added, nothing taken away: no added sulfites, no fining, no filtration. Glossary
Native (wild) yeast. The yeasts already on the grapes and in the cellar, instead of a commercial strain. Glossary
Carbonic maceration. Whole grapes ferment inside a tank full of carbon dioxide, which gives bright, fruity, low-tannin reds; it's the technique behind much Beaujolais. Glossary
Unfined, unfiltered. Bottled without the fining agents or filters that make wine clear, which is why many natural wines are hazy. Glossary · Why natural wine is cloudy
Sulfites (SO2). Sulfur dioxide protects wine from oxygen and microbes. All wine contains a little from fermentation; natural winemakers add little or none. Glossary · The truth about sulfites
Smells and faults
Brett. Brettanomyces, a wild yeast that smells of leather or farmyard. A little can add depth; a lot flattens a wine. Glossary
Volatile acidity (VA). A vinegar or nail-polish edge. A trace gives lift; too much is a fault. Glossary
Mousiness. A stale-cracker taste on the finish that you can't smell, only taste. Almost everyone agrees it's a fault. Glossary
Reduction. A struck-match smell from too little oxygen. It often goes with air and a swirl. Glossary
Where to try them
Ask for a style rather than a grape ("a pét-nat", "something with skin contact") and let the bar steer you. To find a place with proof that it pours natural wine, start with your city's guide on Cities, or read how we prove a place.
What Is Natural Wine? (And How We Prove a Bar Pours It)
Natural wine in one paragraph, why there's no legal definition in most places, and the evidence we need before we call a bar, restaurant or shop natural.
The Beginner's Case: 10 Natural Wines to Start With
Ten bottles that teach you the whole spectrum — from juicy Gamay to Georgian amber — and the producers to look for on any list.
Is Natural Wine Better For You? What the Evidence Actually Says
Fewer additives, less sulfur, organic farming — does any of it make natural wine healthier? An honest look at what's proven, plausible, and pure marketing.
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