2015 Fuchs & Hase Pet-Nat Volume 1

Price: $30
Region: Kamptal < Austria 
Grapes: Muller Thurgau, Gruner Veltliner, Muskateller
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: organic farming, unfined/unfiltered, zero additives
Winemaker: Martin Arndorfer and Alwin Jurtschitsch

Fuchs (fox) & Hase (rabbit) is a collaboration of two young Austrian winemakers Martin Arndorfer and Alwin Jurtschitsch (neither will disclose which animal represents whom). They’re totally my kind of guys – they founded the Fuchs und Hase to excusively produce Pét-Nat (short for Pétillant Naturel: the old-school, traditional way of making bubbly where it is bottled before all the residual sugar is fermented into alcohol, without dosage), and they’re pushing the borders of natural winemaking in Austria (not exactly a hotbed for the natural juice). They make 5 “volumes” of Pét-Nat, each representing different grape varieties and winemaking processes. This one is comprised of three super aromatic local varieties fermented together on skins and bottled before fermentation completes, capturing the natural CO2 that makes this wine lightly bubbly. It’s golden and glowy, bone-dry with loads of stone fruit and white flowers on the nose, white nectarine and fuzzy apricot on the palate. And a truly authentic expression of Austria’s terroir and heritage that comes decked out in a gorgeous, haut couture-ish package, practically gift-wrapped for you. For the bubbles lover or fashionista on your list.