Sparkling wines have dosage levels of sugar defined by law.

Sparkling wines have dosage levels of sugar defined by law.
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What is the difference between Brut & Demi Sec sparkling wine?

Brut, Extra Brut and Demi Sec...and what do they have to do with sugar? Here is a quick primer on what these sparkling wine terms mean and how they taste.

Brut means that the sparkling wine is dry, i.e. not sweet. Sparkling wines are usually made from base wines with high acidity to guarantee that mouth-watering refreshment factor. A final addition of sugar at disgorgement rounds this out without making the wine taste sweet: acid and sugar balance each other. In fact, small amounts sugar act as a flavour enhancer of fruit, rather than as a sweetener. This final addition of sugar is called dosage. Dosage levels are clearly defined by law: 

Brut nature
0-3g/l of sugar – this means no dosage has been added and the tiny amount of residual sugar is unfermentable grape sugar. This will taste bone-dry. Often this is also called zero dosage on the label.

Extra brut
0-6g/l of sugar – either no dosage has been added or just a little. Will taste bone-dry.

Brut
0-12g/l of sugar – the most common dosage level that tastes dry and balanced.

Extra Dry
12-17g/l of sugar – this already starts to taste slightly off-dry and works well with foods or canapés that have a sweet element like fruit.

Dry or Sec
17-32g/l – this is misleading since “dry” here means distinctly off-dry.

Demi Sec
32-50g/l of sugar. This is a sweetish-tasting wine that is not outright sweet. It is a wonderful wine to have with lighter, fruit-based desserts and also works rather well with some hot chilli-spiced dishes.

Doux
50g/l and more – this is distinctly sweet and made to go with dessert.

Climate change means that grapes are often riper now with more expressive fruit flavours. So over the past decades, dosage levels have come down across the board, as less acidity has to be balanced. The sugar added is either beet or cane sugar dissolved in Champagne, or concentrated, rectified grape must. Some sparkling wines have a dosage in the form of sweet wine or even brandy in place of sugar – all as a final spin on flavour.

Anne Krebiehl MW
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