Drinks · fermented
Sparkling wine — brut means dry
The most common mistake at the shelf is assuming «extra dry» is drier than brut. The names come from an era when sparkling wine was far sweeter, and nobody has changed them since. One table settles it for good.
The sweetness scale
Sugar in grams per litre, driest first.
- Brut nature / zero
- 0–3 g/l — bone dry
- Extra brut
- 0–6 g/l
- Brut
- up to 12 g/l — the most common
- Extra dry
- 12–17 g/l — already sweeter than brut
- Sec / dry
- 17–32 g/l
- Demi-sec
- 32–50 g/l — sweet, for dessert
So: brut is dry, extra dry is off-dry. If you want dry, look for the word brut.
Three names, three places
Champagne comes only from the Champagne region in France, and the bubbles form during a second fermentation in the bottle. That gives a finer bubble and a bready note.
Prosecco comes from Italy, with bubbles formed in a large tank. More fruity, floral and light — and cheaper, because the method is quicker.
Cava comes from Spain and is made the same way as champagne but from different grapes. Often the best value on the shelf. German Sekt and Estonian sparkling wines belong to the same wider family.
Opening it without the bang
A loud pop costs you bubbles and sends the cork at the ceiling. Four steps and it comes out quietly.
Chill to 6–8 °C
A warm bottle is under pressure and will spray. Three hours in the fridge or 20 minutes in ice water.
Keep a thumb on the cork
While the wire cage comes off, your thumb must not leave the cork.
Turn the bottle, not the cork
Hold the cork still and rotate the bottle. The cork then comes out under control.
Pour in two goes
Let the foam settle, then top up. Tilt the glass, as you would for beer.
Glass and garnish
The best choice: keeps the bubble and lets the aroma out.
Pretty, the bubble lasts, but the aroma stays trapped.
A historic shape; bubbles vanish quickly. Better for cocktails.
Good champagne is worth trying from an ordinary white wine glass — the aroma is clearer.
Berries in the glass kill the bubble. If you want a cocktail, build a spritz separately.
What goes with it
Sparkling wine is the most versatile drink at the table: acidity and bubbles clean the palate. It works with salty and fried food — crisps and brut are a genuinely good pairing, not a joke. Also sushi, oysters, fried chicken, hard cheese.
With dessert choose demi-sec: dry brut next to a sweet cake turns sour. Prosecco and an aperitif liqueur make a spritz: three parts sparkling, two parts liqueur, a splash of soda, plenty of ice.
Common questions
Which is drier, brut or extra dry?
Brut. Extra dry contains more sugar, despite what the name suggests.
How long do the bubbles last in an open bottle?
With a proper stopper in the fridge, about a day. The teaspoon in the neck is a myth; it does not work.
Is champagne always better than prosecco?
No, it is different: a finer bubble and a yeasty note. For a light fruity drink prosecco suits better and costs less.
At what temperature should it be served?
6–8 °C. Colder mutes the flavour; warmer loses the bubble and sprays on opening.