MARKS & SPENCER ENGLISH PET NAT REVIEW.
Something very exciting has happened. Pet Nat has broken out of it’s hipster confines and found it’s way to supermarket aisles across Britain. M&S have just launched the very first supermarket brand English Pet Nat.
I was delighted to find a bottle at my local M&S food store. Things got even better when I went to the checkout and had a lovely chat with the shop assistant, who had himself just bought a bottle. We enjoyed a gleeful exchange about the Pet Nat, regaling our shock to see wine on sale in M&S with a bottle cap rather than a cork and our excitement to pop open said cap.
In this review, I’ll let you know what I thought about the Marks & Spencer English Pet Nat. Is it worth the hype? Have M&S nailed the much anticipated affordable English Pet Nat?
About Marks & Spencer’s Pet Nat
M&S is the first UK supermarket to develop a Pet Nat alongside an English Vineyard. They have worked with Heppington Vineyard, a Kent based winery close to Canterbury, to produce this maverick wine.
The pioneering spirit runs deep at Heppington. The owners of the vineyards are descendants of the first person to import wine into England from Australia, way back in the 1800s. Today, the vineyard produces a range of still and sparkling wine, with classic champagne grapes.
This specific M&S English Pet Nat is a Rose variety – made with a blend of many of the “big hitters” – Pinot Noir, Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. As with all Pet Nat wine, the fermentation completes in the bottle – leaving the yeast sediment to mingle with the wine. Comparative to other Pet Nats that I have consumed, I’d say the M&S version looks a little less cloudy in the bottle.
Marks & Spencer Pat Nat: The Low Down
Here’s all the key information you need to know about the M&S English Pet Nat.
🗺️Made from grapes grown in Heppington Vineyard, Kent
🍾Made in Pet Nat style – left to ferment in the bottle
🍇Pinot Noir, Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris 11.5% alcohol
💷£15
Tasting notes for Marks & Spencer Pet Nat
So to the taste test – here’s my review of M&S’s English Pet Nat.
Appearance – in the bottle this wine has a peach hue, but once in the glass it has almost a candy floss pink colour. A delicate pink tone, provided by the Pinot Noir & Meunier grapes. It fizzes around the glass, leaving trace bubbles.
Aroma – the wine had a fairly neutral smell at first. Then I gave it a swirl to reveal hints of apple and strawberry in equal measure on the nose.
Taste – to taste, the strawberry flavour is dominant. I got a bitter aftertaste which teetered on the border of unpleasant, never quite crossing it. There’s a sour zing akin to Kombucha.
Mouthfeel – the wine is soft and lively in the mouth. Effervescent and very easy drinking.
Pairing suggestions for Marks & Spencer English Pet Nat
As a heady blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, this wine is a little tricky to pair. The wine could get little lost alongside garlicky food or dishes with rich flavours.
I had just baked some fresh bread, so decided to play it safe, and a little hipster, pairing the M&S Pet Nat with a rustic cheese board.
I could imagine this wine matching well with BBQ chicken or fish, alongside some decadent salty halloumi and a fresh green salad.
This wine could make a perfect addition to a classic British picnic too – is it acceptable to suggest pairing it with a trusty scotch egg? When in M&S and all that…..
Occasions and serving tips for Marks & Spencer English Pet Nat
Pet Nat should be chilled and served straight from the fridge. Where possible, I’d really recommend storing the bottle upright in the fridge. This allows the sediment to percolate. If you lay the bottle flat, the sediment will gloop in one place, which doesn’t look or taste too pleasant.
Secondly, I’d recommend giving your glass a good old swirl before you taste or smell it. Failure to do so leaves the wine feeling a little flat. It reminds me a little of cider from Northern Spain in this sense – the one that is poured from a great height to create bubbles in the glass. A little like the M&S Pet Nat, if it’s left to stand too long it loses it’s zing and becomes a little bland. Keep your glass swirling and it is far more exciting.
For serving, pick a classic white wine glass. A champagne glass or coupe won’t suit this wine at all. In fact, if I had this again, I might try pouring a smaller amount into a larger glass, giving a bit more room for optimum swirlage.
And what’s the perfect occasion for this wine? For me, Pet Nat always conjures up images of a good old fashioned English BBQ. Serve this at your bank holiday party, sure to be a conversation starter. Or for optimum English japes, take a bottle of this Pet Nat along to your next picnic in a park. Just make sure you’ve got a cool bag and a bottle top opener to pop the cap open.
My review of Marks & Spencer English Pet Nat
English Pet Nat has, in my view, been prohibitively expensive for some time. M&S has changed all that and I hope this trend continues.
TASTE: 7/10
QUAFFABILITY: 9/10
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8/10
BUY AGAIN: Yes
For the price point, I would not expect the same depth of flavour as with more premium English Pet Nat. I think this is the case with M&S’s Pet Nat. But what it lacks in complex flavour, it makes up for by being zany and just bringing a whole lot of joy.
The M&S Pet Nat is fun and I love that it is a talking point. Wine should be interesting. Wine should also be splendidly quaffable – and this is. Sitting out in the garden enjoy a late evening of sunshine, my partner and I seemed to finish this bottle in record time. I would definitely buy it again – and try to make it a last a little longer next time.
Where can you buy M&S Pet Nat?
Buy your M&S Pet Nat direct from marks stores or online from Ocado. (I see that it is currently out of stock online, but hopefully it will return soon!)
4 more bottles of English Pet Nat to quaff
The M&S Pet Nat is the least expensive on the market, but spend a little more and you can bag yourself some excellent English Pet Nats.
Here are a few that you can purchase from my favourite online English wine store Grape Britannia:
Lost in a Field, Frolic Pét-Nat 2022 – Made by wine makers at Lost in a Field, a pioneering wine maker who sources grapes from around the UK. This Pet Nat is full of classic English fruit. 9% alcohol – buy for £29.99.
Ancre Hill Vineyard, Red Pet Nat NV – Produced in Wales by Ancre Hill Vineyard, this wine excites me the most. A red Pet Nat, packed with cherry flavour and just the right amount of pungent sour notes. 11% alcohol – buy for £19.99.
Renegade London Wine, Jamie Nat Fizz – As with all of their wine, Renegade London Wine have made something a little different with the Jamie Nat Fizz. Rather than adding yeast to the bottle (Pet Nat style), this is a “Nat Fizz” – a naturally fizzy wine. 11.5% alcohol- buy for £29.99.
Slow Beam, Pet Nat 2022 – made by a boutique winery in Kent, this Pet Nat is a delightful pink in colour and has notes of cranberry. 11.5% alcohol – buy for £22.
If you’re keen to visit a vineyard to sample Pet Nat – check out my guide to the best ones to visit here.
Where to next?
A few of my favourite things
Looking for a gift for yourself or a wine lover in your life? Here are a few of my favourite English Wine things.
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