Name: Black Radish Bar and Restaurants Mersel Wine Leb Nat Recipe
Cook time: 4 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1.5 cups Cinsault red wine (preferably 2020 Bekaa Valley or a light-bodied, fruit-forward red); 0.1 cups Fine granulated sugar (for tirage / secondary fermentation); 1 tsp Active wine yeast (neutral champagne / sparkling wine yeast) — rehydrated; 2 tbs Filtered water (for rehydrating yeast and dissolving sugar); 0.5 cups Fresh cranberries (for infusion / light maceration); 1 tsp Lemon zest (finely grated); 1 piece Orange peel (thin strip, pith removed); 0.5 tbs Simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water), chilled — optional for balancing acidity; 1 piece Clean 750 ml champagne-style bottle or 500 ml sparkling bottle (sterilized); 1 piece Sparkling wine cork and cage (or crown cap and capper if available); 1 piece Measuring syringe or small funnel; 1 piece Fine strainer or muslin; 2 piece Chilled coupe or flute; 2 piece Thin lemon twist (for garnish)

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2020 Cinsault Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. An ancient – world natural sparkling that will leave you feeling refreshed and sophisticated. Drinks like cranberry juice, and is a stunning representation of the fun that is found in Lebanese wines.

Dissolve the fine granulated sugar (0.1 cups) in the 2 tablespoons of filtered water in a small sanitized container. Warm gently if needed (do not exceed 40°C / 104°F). Allow to cool to room temperature.

Prepare tirage solution

Sprinkle the active sparkling wine yeast over 1 tablespoon of the cooled tirage solution and let sit 5–10 minutes until slightly foamy, indicating activity.

Rehydrate yeast

Pour 1.5 cups of the Cinsault red wine into a sanitized mixing vessel. Stir in the remaining tirage solution and then add the rehydrated yeast. Mix gently but thoroughly to incorporate the yeast and sugar.

Combine wine and tirage

Note: This step initiates a small-scale secondary fermentation in-bottle to create natural sparkle. Work sanitary and at cool room temperature (18–22°C / 64–72°F).

Place 1/2 cup fresh cranberries in a small sanitized jar and lightly crush with the back of a spoon or muddler to release juice and color. Add the crushed cranberries to the wine-tirage mixture and let macerate 30–45 minutes at cool room temperature to extract bright cranberry character and color.

Light cranberry maceration

Add the 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 thin strip of orange peel (pith removed) to the macerating mixture for the final 10 minutes of maceration to capture volatile citrus oils without excessive bitterness.

Add citrus brightness

Taste after maceration. If the wine feels overly tart, stir in up to 1/2 tablespoon chilled simple syrup to balance acidity while keeping the natural freshness. Strain solids before bottling.

Line a small funnel with a fine strainer or muslin. Carefully pour the wine-tirage-cranberry mixture through the strainer into the sanitized sparkling bottle, leaving behind solids. Aim to transfer the full liquid volume but leave any sediment in the strainer.

Strain and transfer

If necessary, top up the bottle with a bit more of the same Cinsault to reach safe fill level (about 2–3 cm headspace). Add the champagne cork and cage (or crown cap) and seal tightly. Ensure caps/cages are properly secured.

Top up and seal

Store the sealed bottle upright in a cool, dark place at 12–16°C (54–61°F) for 2–3 weeks to allow in-bottle secondary fermentation to produce carbonation. Then move bottles to the refrigerator for 48 hours to slow fermentation and allow lees to settle toward the neck.

Secondary fermentation and clarification

If you prefer a clearer pour, decant carefully into another sanitized bottle through a fine strainer, leaving the lees behind. Note: Traditional natural sparkling methods often include disgorging frozen lees; this small-scale recipe uses settling and careful decanting for home clarity.

Stabilize (optional)

Chill the bottle thoroughly (4–7°C / 39–45°F) before opening. To open, remove the cage while keeping a thumb on the cork, tilt the bottle at a 45° angle away from people and gently ease the cork out to control pressure. Expect a modest effervescence and a soft mousse rather than aggressive bubbles.

Chill and open

Pour gently into chilled coupes or flutes. Garnish each glass with a thin lemon twist over the rim to enhance aromatic brightness. Serve immediately.

Pour and garnish

Enjoy: the finished wine will show bright cranberry-like fruit, a lifted citrus lift from the zest and a delicate natural sparkle reminiscent of an ancient-world Lebanese pet-nat style.

Cinsault red wine (preferably 2020 Bekaa Valley or a light-bodied, fruit-forward red)

Fine granulated sugar (for tirage / secondary fermentation)

Active wine yeast (neutral champagne / sparkling wine yeast) — rehydrated

Filtered water (for rehydrating yeast and dissolving sugar)

Fresh cranberries (for infusion / light maceration)

Lemon zest (finely grated)

Orange peel (thin strip, pith removed)

Simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water), chilled — optional for balancing acidity

Clean 750 ml champagne-style bottle or 500 ml sparkling bottle (sterilized)

Sparkling wine cork and cage (or crown cap and capper if available)

Measuring syringe or small funnel

Fine strainer or muslin

Chilled coupe or flute

Thin lemon twist (for garnish)

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Make Mersel Wine Leb Nat Recipe in just 4h 30m. 2020 Cinsault Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. An ancient – world natural sparkling that will leave you feeling refreshed and sophisticated. Drinks like cranberry juice, and is a stunning representation of the fun that is found in Lebanese wines.

Mersel Wine Leb Nat Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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