Méthode Ancestrale

The original method to bring carbonic acid into the wine is called "méthode ancestrale". The still fermenting wine is filled into bottles and completes the fermentation there, so that the carbonic acid remains in the bottles. The result is a sparkling wine that does not have the same mature aroma of a long barrel age, but works very well as a light, fruity and refreshing summer wine.

The "Ancestrale" is bottled every year during the harvest and remains on the lees for about 7-9 months until summer. It is not disgorged and therefore has a yeast depot and a slight cloudiness.

The term "petillant naturel", which is often used in the natural wine scene, cannot be used in this context for the following reason. "Petillant naturel" means "naturally foaming" in French and differs from the classic "méthode champenoise", because yeast is added there to initiate a second fermentation, while in "PetNat" the carbonic acid "naturally" comes from the first fermentation. However, since we also initiate the second fermentation "naturally" at Zarathustra wine, i.e. not with added yeasts (cf. Spontaneous Second Fermentation), all our sparkling wines are "petillant naturel".