Man, when did we start shunning Cava to the cocktail domain instead of enjoying it for the gem that it is?

I’ve undoubtedly become a card-carrying member of the “Cava is for Mimosas” club. Pour a glass, slop in some Simply Orange, chug, repeat.

We did Cava dirty, and she didn’t deserve that.

While the Celler de Les Aus “Aus” Pet-Nat isn’t labelled as Cava, it is made from Xarel-lo, one of the three grapes notoriously used for Mimosa Bubbly. And boy, is this shit good.

Slightly peachy, zingy, and plenty of zippy bubbles to tickle your ickle nose, the Aus is surprisingly laid-back for a Pet-Nat. No explosion upon opening, no wild notes of barnyard*, no sediment to crunch on… but it’s got flair, and keeps you reaching for the bottle when your glass is only half empty.

*_{Two and a half glasses in, the barnyard comes through a bit. Not an unwelcome addition, though.}

If anything, this wine falls into the “Fried Food” category. It’s basically been designed to drink with fish and chips, fried oysters, or the McChicken you can barely afford because you spend all of your money on wine. It begs for light meats, fish, oil, and breading, so that it might show you the light at the end of the tunnel after a long day at work, or a long day of sitting on the patio hoping that the sun comes out.

With a deluge of lemon and lime zest, Aus is like guzzling Sprite, but it leaves your mouth feeling cleaner than before. Familiar and safe, but she’s here for a good time, not a long time.