Anna Pet Nat

Czech sparkling wine is not a phrase most people have on file, which is exactly why this one is worth knowing about. Krásná Hora farm biodynamically in Moravia, in the south-east corner of the country, and they also make the La Blanca and the Ruby that sit elsewhere on this site.

Anna is a pét-nat — pétillant naturel — which means the wine goes into bottle before its first fermentation has finished, and the bubbles come from that rather than from a second fermentation added later. Older than the Champagne method by a long way, and far less forgiving, because there is no dosage or disgorgement afterwards to tidy anything up.

What comes out is pale gold and gently fizzy, at lower pressure than a traditional-method sparkling, so it foams softly instead of erupting. Green apple and pear lead, with a floral lift and a faint yeasty, savoury edge that tells you the wine is alive rather than sterilised. The finish is dry, clean and more mineral than the style usually gets credit for.

Under £23, and about as far from formal as sparkling wine gets. Open it on a Tuesday.

How to Serve

Well chilled, 8 to 10°C, in an ordinary wine glass rather than a flute. Stand the bottle upright in the fridge for a few hours first if you would rather leave the sediment behind — pét-nat usually has some, and it is not a fault.

Where to Drink It

Planque in Haggerston, natural-leaning and happy to pour something unfamiliar. Dandy on Maltby Street. Noble Rot, if you want the context explained while you drink it.

Food Pairings

Fresh goat's cheese, or a plate of charcuterie. It is also unusually good with a fry-up, which is not a joke.