03 Sep Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Two Shepherds 2023 Natty Pets Sparkling Orange Wine

I spent much of the summer on the road. But with a few days at home finally, I carved out a late afternoon to sit on my deck and take a break. I wanted something playful, light, and easy. I grabbed the can chilling in my fridge and popped it open. Bright and fizzy, the Two Shepherds 2023 Natty Pets Sparkling Orange Wine was perfect for the moment, and that is why it is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

About Two Shepherds Natty Pets Canned Wine

Two Shepherds owner William Allen has a two-acre property in Sonoma that includes a home, a garden, and a high-density planting of Grenache Gris and Grenache that is hand-farmed organically. But the most important part of their property is the fellow tenants, the “Natty Pets”. There are three mini donkeys, five goats, six chickens, two dogs, three cats, and two Kune-Kune herbivore lady pigs. Many of these pets [donkeys Dolce, Sophia, and Luna, goats Trouble, Soleil, Chabi, and Chou, dogs Arya and Austin, and cats Max and Wiley] have all been showcased on different bottlings of Two Shepherds wines. But it is the Natty Pets Canned Wine that celebrates the entire menagerie.

Two Shepherds specializes primarily in Rhone varieties, producing wines from grapes sourced from organically farmed vineyards from Yolo County and Mendocino to Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley to Lodi. In 2020, they started to produce canned wines. The benefit of cans is that they are 100% recyclable, light in weight, easy to transport, a great value, and a perfect serving for one person.

Tasting Notes

The 2023 Natty Pets Pet Nat is a sparkling white wine made from 100% organic Picpoul sourced from the Dunnigan Hills AVA in Yolo County. 75% of the grapes spent 10 days skin fermenting, and 25% was fermented in stainless steel. The final color of the wine is a pale apricot-orange color. The wine has delicate aromas of white tea, white peach, apple, and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is smooth with a light tingle and fresh acidity with a lightly savory finish.

Food Pairing

I poured the entire can into my glass. At 10.7% alcohol, it was a perfect wine to enjoy with my lunch on my deck. I enjoyed sipping this wine with a big fresh salad filled with tuna, garbanzo beans, tomato, and avocado. This is such an easy drinking wine, you can enjoy it on a picnic, pool party, or barbecue, or just enjoy it on its own.

Where To Purchase

I drank my last can of the 2023 Natty Pets Pet Nat and now need to get the 2024 Natty Pets Pet Nat, which retails for $10 per can (250ml). The cans are available in local retail shops, but you can buy them directly at Two Shepherds.

Meet The Winemaker

Listen to the interview I did with William Allen on the Wine Soundtrack USA podcast.