This Is The Biggest — And Most Sustainable — Wine Trend You've Never Heard Of

Looking for a new style of beverage to sip? If you're a fan of spritzes and other fizzy, low-alcohol drinks, there's a new wine trend that's just for you: Piquettes. But exactly what is piquette wine? And why are so many natural wine shops always selling out of these bottles and cans? Wine experts describe it as a super sustainably made spirit and say you'll love it if you're looking for something that's as fun to drink as it is earth-friendly.

According to Coly Den Haan, sommelier and owner of LA wine shop Vinovore, what makes the wine so environmentally friendly is how it's produced. "Piquette is kind of the ultimate in green or sustainable winemaking," she explains. "After the grapes are crushed for a traditional wine and the juice has been extracted, there is a cakey pomace left over. At this point, water is added to the squeezed-grape skin leftovers to create a lower-in-alcohol, often-slightly spritzy, and easy drinking wine-ish beverage."

While the term itself is controversial among wine professionals, piquette could be considered a "clean" option — in this case meaning it's created with minimal intervention. Many of the winemakers who are producing piquettes adopt organic, biodynamic, and even vegan practices in their process, and the wines are defined by their lack of additives. As an added bonus, piquettes are often available at an accessible price point, with many bottles between the $15 to $25 mark.

While the slightly effervescent, occasionally funky drink is certainly trending at the moment, it's not for everyone. Want to know a little bit more about this quirky, sustainable beverage before you buy a bottle? Read ahead for why it may — or may not — be your new go-to, according to Den Haan and Monica Navarro, owner of Joshua Tree's cult favorite wine shop Wine & Rock Shop and the newly opened Wine & Eggs Shop in Los Angeles, then browse from a few of their faves.

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