IT’S ONLY NATURAL
Rachel Signer’s memoir, You Had Me at Pét-Nat, reads like a wine-soaked fairytale. It’s the first book from the American-born writer and wine maker, who currently resides in South Australia with her husband and daughter. The story chronicles Signer’s all-encompassing love affair with the world of natural wine, which begins after the moment she sips her first pét-nat – a rosé number she describes as both “elegant” and “nourishing.”
From working in a quaint New York bottle shop to picking grapes at sunrise in the heart of the Loire Valley, Signer brings readers a slightly whimsical, globetrotting tale that, at times, doesn’t feel like it could be anyone’s real life. It’s a funny, wanderlust-inspiring read, punctuated by real moments of grit and heartache, and lifted by the approachable way Signer weaves in her sweeping knowledge of natural wine.
“I originally wanted to write a book back when I was living in New York in 2016,” Signer tells GT. “I really wanted to educate people about natural wine, I wanted to reach people and I thought a book was a good way of doing that. After exploring my options I ended up publishing a magazine instead, but then, when my life took a few unexpected twists and turns, the book really came into its own,” she says.
Under the labels of Persephone and Lucy M, Signer makes some of the country’s boldest natural wines. Her tome speaks to this experience but also goes beyond it to capture the chaotic turbulence of life. “Writing a memoir, you’re really exposing yourself and the people in your world,” says Signer. “There are a lot of highs and lows, especially of living in a place like Paris. You’re in this culture capital and it’s the most incredible city to wake up in and walk around in. But the lows are that it can be very lonely and hard to penetrate. I was overconsuming and overindulging and I felt really lost. And I tried to be really honest about that.”
This stellar debut from one of the industry’s linchpins is filled with colourful characters (some of whom, like Giorgio De Maria and Anton Von Klopper, you may recognise), and with stories that will leave you reaching for a glass of something funky and fermented while reading.
You Had Me at Pét-Nat (Hachette Books, $39.99), hachette.com.au