Sommelier’s pick
Who: Matthew Pridgen, the wine director for UB Preserv and other Underbelly Hospitality restaurants, including One-Fifth and incoming steakhouse Georgia James
Background: The Houston native, whose family has a farming history, got his start in the restaurant business as a bartender at Mark’s, where he eventually became the general manager and sommelier. Pridgen first partnered with chef Chris Shepherd at Catalan, then joined him when the original Underbelly opened. What: 2017 William Chris Pétillant Naturel Rosé, Texas
Why: No, a “pét-nat” isn’t a small insect you have to let out in the mornings and take for walks. And the Texas winemaker behind this one, Chris Brundrett, admits he’d never heard of pétillant naturel wines until a friend sent him one to try a few years back.
Now Brundrett is a true believer, as is Pridgen. These old-school sparklers are made in the méthode ancestrale, which means they are bottled before primary fermentation is complete, yielding a rustic tasting and lightly carbonated bottle of bubbles.
“Pét-nat is all the buzz these days, and for good reason,” Pridgen says. “It’s fizzy, fun, meant for early consumption, and it just happens to pair great with food. Chris ventured into the world of pét-nats with the 2014 vintage, and it’s dangerously delicious.”
The 2017 vintage blend — it changes from year to year — is a kitchen-sink mélange of merlot, mourvedre, malbec, grenache, malvasia and muscat that Pridgen describes thusly: “Superfresh aromatics of ripe strawberry and plum with hints of orange peel and herbs jump out of the glass. Fresh and vibrant on the palate thanks to the acidity, this wine is a natural partner for spicy cuisine, such as our crispy rice salad and pork laap.” Price: $27 for a bottle at UB Preserve, 1609 Westheimer