- Last updated on January 2, 2023
This is our comparison of Brut vs Extra Dry. We’ve extensively researched these two popular sparkling wine styles to help you pick the best for you.
Brut or Extra Dry refers to the sweetness level of sparkling wine, and it is expressed in grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L, or as a percentage.
Find below our wine guide on the most important differences between these two great wines.
Our recommendation for Best Value Brut is Veuve Clicquot Brut (Carte Jaune) Champagne N.V. and for Best Overall is Bollinger La Grande Année Brut 2012.
Our recommendation for Best Value Extra Dry is Ruggeri Giall’Oro Prosecco Superiore and for Best Overall is Bisol Cartizze Prosecco Superiore.
You’ll find below other recommendations for you.
Let’s begin with the review!
Wine Selection Overview
Find below our Brut vs Extra Dry wine selection for you where you’ll find our recommendation for you.
Brut Selection
Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige N.V.
It is clean and delicate on the nose. This wonderful sparkler is full-bodied and toasty on the palate.
Creamy and elegant, with a touch of vanilla and hazelnut on the finish.
Veuve Clicquot Brut (Carte Jaune) Champagne N.V.
Good value for money. Similar wines usually cost 38% more.
Very Good. Light gold color; small bubbles.
Straw on the nose. Quick tanginess on the tip of the tongue initially, then a slow finish. Lemon acidity.
Bollinger La Grande Année Brut Champagne 2012
Extra Dry Selection
Paladin Millesimato Extra Dry 2019
Bright straw yellow. Fine and lingering perlage.
Clearly fruity with hints of apple, pear and a delicate note of citrus fruit, which delicately expresses flowery hints.
Soft and elegant, with a very pleasant fizziness.
Tangy and lingering, fabulously lively and light at every glass.
Ruggeri Giall'Oro
Prosecco Superiore
It is gently sweet and fresh on the palate, extremely smooth and well-balanced with long and fruity finish.
It has a persistent peerage of fine bubbles and brings mature golden apples and acacia flowers readily to mind.
Bisol Cartizze
Prosecco Superiore
The color is pale yellow, the perlage is lively, persistent and subtle.
Elegant meadow flowers, pleasantly fruity with hints of apple, pear and peach.
The flavor is fruity, full balanced, with sweetness contained and accompanied by intense fruity and elegant.
Comparison
Let’s now take a closer look at the difference between Brut vs Extra Dry so that you’ll have enough details to make an informed decision.
What does Brut vs Extra Dry mean?
Brut vs Extra Dry refers to the sweetness level of sparkling wine, and it is expressed in grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L, or as a percentage.
The sweetness level of a wine is expressed in grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L, or as a percentage.
10 g/L equals 1% which, if you are interested, represents 6 calories per 5 oz serving.
Brut vs Extra Dry: What is the difference?
Brut and Extra Dry are two different sweetness level category for sparkling wines.
White, red and rosé wines have a different classification of sweetness.
We’ve seen above that the sweetness level of a wine is expressed in grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L, or as a percentage.
A Brut wine has less than 6 g/L.
An Extra Dry sparkling wine has between 12 to 17 g/L.
Learn more about wine sweetness level here.
Brut vs Extra Dry: Champagne sweetness scale
The Champagne sweetness level depends on the amount of sugar added during the dosage.
The most popular type is Brut with less than 12 grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L.
Find below the Champagne sweetness scale:
- Brut Nature less than 3 g/L.
- Extra Brut less than 6 g/L.
- Brut less than 12 g/L.
- Extra Dry between 12 to 17 g/L.
- Sec/Dry between 17 to 32 g/L. Despite the name, it’s noticeably sweet.
- Demi-Sec/Medium Dry between 32 to 50 g/L.
- Doux/Sweet 50+ g/L. This is the sweetest level.
Brut vs Extra Dry: Prosecco sweetness scale
Like Champagne, Prosecco sweetness level depends on the amount of sugar added during the dosage.
There are typically three sweetness levels for Prosecco: Brut, Extra-Dry, Dry and Demi-Sec. Extra-Dry is the most common type.
Find below the Prosecco sweetness scale:
- Brut less than 12 g/l of residual sugar, aka RS.
- Extra Dry between 12 to 17 g/l RS.
- Dry between 17 to 32 g/l RS. Despite the name, it’s noticeably sweet.
- Demi-Sec/Medium Dry between 32 to 50 g/L.
Brut vs Extra Dry: Is Brut Champagne sweet?
No it’s not.. It’s actually dry with less than 12 g/L of residual sugar.
A sweet Champagne would have instead over 50 g/L of residual sugar.
Brut vs Extra Dry: Is Prosecco sweeter than Champagne?
We’ve seen above that the most common type of Prosecco you’ll find is Extra Dry whereas for Champagne it will be Brut.
The question is then is Extra Dry sweeter than Brut?
By now you should know the answer, which is: yes it is, since Extra Dry has more residual sugar than Brut.
Brut vs Extra Dry: Prosecco vs Champagne
Prosecco and Champagne are both sparkling wines and share some similarities in terms of food pairings, as they are both very versatile wines.
There are though a series of differences. Here we’ll briefly touch upon three of them. You can find a more detailed article here.
1# – How are they made?
Champagne is usually produced using the Traditional Method or méthode traditionnelle in French.
Prosecco is instead usually produced using the Charmat Method (aka Tank or Martinotti Method).
The Traditional Method produces the highest sparkling wine quality albeit at the highest costs, and it’s considered the classic way of producing sparkling wines.
2# – What’s their alcohol content or ABV?
Alcohol content or more precisely Alcohol By Volume, i.e. ABV, measures the alcoholic strength of a drink.
Prosecco’s ABV is usually between 9% to 11%, whereas Champagne’s ABV ranges between 10.5% to 12.5% depending on the style.
3# – What’s their taste profile?
Champagne will have notes of apple, pear, lemon, strawberry, brioche, and toast. Expect high acidity, light-body, saline, and creamy sensation on the palate.
Prosecco will have notes of apple, pear, citrus, white peach, honeydew melon, and honeysuckle.
Expect high acidity, light-body, and a slightly sweeter taste than Champagne, if you go for Extra Dry.
Our Verdict
If you have been through the guide, by now you are a Brut vs Extra Dry expert!
You should also have a good idea of what to expect from your glass of Champagne or Prosecco.
Our recommendation is based on what you’d fancy the most at a particular given moment or event.
Do you are just after some refreshing bubbles in an informal event like an aperitif with friends or just for your own break?
Then go for Ruggeri Giall’Oro Prosecco Superiore.
If you are after something special go for Bisol Cartizze Prosecco Superiore.
Do you prefer a more complex and sophisticated experience and want to treat yourself and your guests?
Then Veuve Clicquot Brut (Carte Jaune) Champagne N.V. is the obvious choice.
If course you are after something absolutely exceptional, Bollinger La Grande Année Brut 2012 is our recommendation for you, knowing that you’ll not be disappointed.
As always make sure to serve it at the right temperature of 43° – 50°F (6° – 10°C) in a flûte glass [1] so that you can enjoy it at its best.
