How Sweet is your Sparkling Wine?

The amount of sugar added to Champagne or sparkling wine determines the sweetness or dryness of that particular bottle. Extra Dry, sounds drier than Brut right? No, a simply way to look at the sweetness levels is the following:

Brut Zéro > Extra Brut > Brut > Extra Dry > Sec > Demi-Sec > Doux

• Brut zéro or Brut natural has no sugar added

• Extra-Brut dry (0-6 grams/litre)

• Brut is the most popular type of sparkling wine. The wine is dry, but there is just a hint of sweetness and it pairs well with food. (less than 15 grams/litre)

• Extra-dry is dry, but not as dry as Brut as it retains a slight sweetness, great as an aperitif. (12 -20 grams/litre)

• Sec medium sweet (17-35 grams/litre)

• Demi-sec a sweet sparkling wine, usually enjoyed with dessert. (33-50 grams/litre)

• Doux is the sweetest (more than 50 grams/litre)