Every market moves through tendencies of the moment and the wine sector is no exception. Know what is an ancestral wine? Although it may sound strange, old or not current, the truth is that lately in some areas of Spain it has become fashion. However, these types of bottles have been with us for a long time, so they are not a rarity or novelty of now. Here we explain what that defining word means and some particularities of the ancestral wines.
From France and in two phases
First of all, to know what is an ancestral wine we must travel to France because there it arose or was discovered. By accident or not, the process was a precursor to the famous method champagne, that which is applied to champagne French. Also to the production of Spanish cava. But hey, going back to the concept that concerns us in this article, the fact is that in the neighboring country they call it Pet Nat (petillant natural), that is, "natural sparkling wine". Therefore, you can easily deduce that it is a product natural.
Its difference with other wines is also that, when made, it has a only fermentation, but it occurs in two phases different. The first occurs in a stainless steel tank, where the yeasts are incorporated so that they begin to play their role, converting sugars and other substances into alcohol. Then, already in the second phase, the must Still in this fermenting state, it is transferred to a bottle and covered with a plate to continue its process.
But already the carbon dioxide that results from the last fermentation does not escape, but remains there until a consumer uncorks the bottle. So you already know what is an ancestral wine, which could be perfectly called wine sparkling, its most used synonym here in Spain. It has great fame in Catalonia, land par excellence of cavas, but it is also present in Andalusian, Extremadura or La Mancha regions.
Characteristics of an ancestral wine
Going deeper into the ancestral wines, we can define them as short-lived but with some very fresh fruity hints. This is explained in that they are almost must and, therefore, they maintain a large part of that essence of the fruits (grapes) from which they are made. In addition to being easy to drink and not having a high alcohol content, they are broths very attractive in shades because they reflect very well their naturalness. That which you can appreciate in the less bright colors and turbidity of the bottle.
Now what do you know what is an ancestral wine, we encourage you to try some of its options in the market. There are reds, rosés and whites, as well as cavas, of course. If you have already tasted one of these broths, which one do you recommend? why?
