🍷 Demi-sec
Also known as: demi sec
Medium-sweet sparkling wine.
Demi-sec is the French term for medium-sweet sparkling wine. The word means “half-dry”, but the scale for sparkling wine is shifted, so demi-sec is clearly sweet. Under EU rules it has 32 to 50 grams of sugar per litre.
Sweetness is added at the very end. After the second fermentation and removal of the sediment, the bottle is topped up with the dosage, a mix of wine and sugar. More sugar in the dosage means a sweeter wine. The driest levels are brut and extra brut, followed by extra sec and sec, then demi-sec, with doux the sweetest.
Demi-sec appears in French, Italian and Spanish wine: in Champagne, Crémant, some Cava and Prosecco. Two centuries ago sweet sparkling wine was the norm, and dry brut became fashionable later. Today demi-sec is usually served with dessert, fruit or pastries rather than as an aperitif.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Demi-sec → made in → 🗺️ French wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Dosage
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ French wine, 🗺️ Italian wine, 🗺️ Spanish wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Sec, 🍷 Doux, 🍾 Canard-Duchêne Demi-Sec Essentiel, 🍾 Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Demi-Sec, 🍾 Nicolas Feuillatte Grande Réserve Demi-Sec, 🍾 Pol Roger Rich, 🍾 Laurent-Perrier Harmony, 🍾 Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial, 🍾 Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial Rosé, 🍾 Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that demi-sec Champagne is half-dry?
No. The word means half-dry, but on the sparkling scale it is clearly sweet.
Should demi-sec be served as an aperitif?
It is usually served with dessert, fruit or pastries rather than before a meal.
How does the sweetness get into demi-sec?
Through the dosage: after the second fermentation and removal of the sediment, the bottle is topped up with a mix of wine and sugar.
Guides
What to read next
- 🗺️ Italian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- 🍷 Sec — A sparkling wine with noticeable sweetness; by dosage it is medium-dry.
- 🍾 Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial Rosé — Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial Rosé: a non-vintage rosé Champagne (Demi-Sec) from Moët & Chandon. Pinot Noir 45–55 %, Meunier 35–45 %, Chardonnay 5–10 % (according to the house).
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🍾 Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé — Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé: a non-vintage rosé Champagne (Demi-Sec) from Moët & Chandon. Pinot Noir 45–55 %, Meunier 35–45 %, Chardonnay 5–10 % (according to the house).
Similar
🍷 Extra dry · 🍷 Doux · 🍷 Sec · 🍷 Brut nature · 🍷 Extra brut · 🍷 Brut
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.