🍷 Extra dry
Also known as: extra-dry
A sparkling wine slightly sweeter than brut, despite the word dry in its name.
Extra dry is a sweetness term for sparkling wine, meaning 12 to 17 g of sugar per litre. Despite the name, such wine is slightly sweeter than brut and drier than sec. The confusion is historical: in the 19th century sparkling wines were much sweeter, and 12–17 g seemed dry by comparison.
The sweetness of sparkling wine is set by dosage, a small addition of sugar or liqueur before corking. The scale runs brut nature, extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec and doux.
Extra dry is especially common for prosecco: many producers make it mainly in this version. The term is also used for champagne and other sparkling wines, in French wine and Italian wine alike. It tastes softer and suits aperitifs, light snacks and fruit.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Extra dry → made in → 🗺️ French wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Dosage
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ French wine, 🗺️ Italian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Brut, 🍷 Sec, 🍷 Prosecco
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that extra dry fizz is drier than brut?
No. It holds 12 to 17 g of sugar per litre, a little more than brut.
Why does Prosecco so often say extra dry on the label?
Many Prosecco producers make it mainly in this version.
Is extra dry a good choice with food?
It tastes softer than brut and suits aperitifs, light snacks and fruit.
Guides
Similar
🍷 Doux · 🍷 Sec · 🍷 Demi-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.