- Last updated on June 5, 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 Pierre Gobillard Brut Authentique Champagne and for Best Overall is Bollinger La Grande Année Brut 2014.
Our recommendation for Best Value Extra Dry is Paladin Millesimato Extra Dry 2020 and for Best Overall is Ruggeri Giall’Oro Prosecco Superiore.Â
You’ll find below other recommendations for you.Â
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
Bernard Remy
Carte Blanche Brut Champagne
The three things that make this wine the best budget are:
1) It’s fresh, fruity and elegant and super easy to drink on its own or with a large variety of food.
2) Rated 93 points by Decanter as an evidence of its quality.
3) It costs ~$40 which is a good value for money.
Try it with seafood risotto, scallops, fish tartare, turkey, or Camembert cheese and it’ll be a delight!
Read our full review here.
Pierre Gobillard
Brut Authentique Champagne
The three things that make this wine the best value are:
1) It’s more elegant and refined than the previous wine, which means you’ll have a better sensorial experience as you taste it.
2) The terroir:Â It’s made from grapes grown in the the Premier Cru village of Hautvillers, the birthplace of Dom Perignon.
3) It’s a great quality price-ratio. For ~$40 you get a high quality Champagne for a very reasonable price.
Try it with oyster, caviar, lobster, chicken with sesame, Brie cheese, or macaroons and it’ll be a delight!
Read our full review here.
Bollinger La Grande Année Brut Champagne 2014
There are at least three things that make this wine the best overall:
1) Premium Champagne: This vintage wine is made using a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Grand and Premier cru grapes, resulting in a wine that is all about finesse, complexity, and perfect balance.
2) Long aging period: The wine is aged for ten years in the cellars before it is released which allows the wine to develop a more complex flavor profile and a smoother texture.
This is a champagne that is truly worthy of any special occasion or celebration.
Read our full review here.
Extra Dry Selection
La Marca Prosecco
Rosé
The three things that make this wine the best budget are:
1) It’s a sparkling rosè and it’s super easy to drink on its own or with a large variety of food.
2) It’s perfect for an apero as it pairs with a large variety of foods.
3) It costs ~$16Â which is a good value for the quality you get.
Try it with salads, salty olives, Parma ham, bruschetta, pork, fried fish, or Parmigiano cheese and it will be a delight!
Read our full review here.
Paladin Millesimato Extra Dry 2020
The three things that make this wine the best value are:
1) It’s more refined, elegant than the previous wine, and it’s a millesime, which means you’ll have a better sensorial experience as you taste it.
2) It’s the perfect everyday sparkling wine that delivers every time.
3) It’s a great quality price-ratio. For ~$18 you get a high quality Prosecco for a very reasonable price.
Try it with Parma ham, pizza, tofu, pork, chicken, grilled fish, Baby Swiss cheese, or light dessert and it’ll be a delight!
Read our full review here.
Ruggeri Giall'Oro
Prosecco Superiore
There are at least three things that make this wine the best overall:
1) Premium Prosecco: this Prosecco is made from high-quality Glera grapes grown in the Valdobbiadene region, which is known for producing some of the best Prosecco in the world.
2) Distinctive character: The wine has a unique flavor profile and complexity that sets it apart from other Proseccos.
3) Renowned producer: Ruggeri is a renowned winery that has been producing high-quality Prosecco for generations.
If you are looking for an exceptional Prosecco at a reasonable price, go for this one.
Read our full review here.
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?Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
Our recommendation is based on what you’d fancy the most at a particular given moment or event.Â
Do you are just after some refreshing bubbles in an informal event like an aperitif with friends or just for your own break?
Our recommendation for Best Value Extra Dry is Paladin Millesimato Extra Dry 2020 and for Best Overall is Ruggeri Giall’Oro Prosecco Superiore.Â
Do you prefer a more complex and sophisticated experience and want to treat yourself and your guests?
Our recommendation for Best Value Pierre Gobillard Brut Authentique Champagne and for Best Overall is Bollinger La Grande Année Brut 2014.
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.
