🍷 Sec
A sparkling wine with noticeable sweetness; by dosage it is medium-dry.
Sec (French for “dry”) is a sweetness term on the label of sparkling wine. The paradox is that “dry” here does not mean dry but off-dry: the wine is noticeably sweet. The sugar content of sec is 17 to 32 grams per litre.
Sweetness is set by the dosage. Dosage is the addition of sugar to the wine at the last stage of sparkling wine production, when the bottle is closed again. By sugar content, wines are divided into steps from driest to sweetest. Extra brut has almost no sugar, brut is dry, extra dry is slightly sweeter, sec is sweeter still, and demi-sec sweeter again.
This scale is used in France, Italy and many countries. On a sparkling-wine label, “sec” does not mean dry, and “extra dry” is sweeter than “brut”. So when the sugar content is given in numbers, look at the numbers.
Sec suits light desserts, fruit and mildly sweet dishes. It is closer to demi-sec and extra dry. Alcohol is for adults.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 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
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Extra dry, 🍷 Demi-sec, 🍾 Taittinger Nocturne, 🍾 Taittinger Nocturne Rosé, 🍾 Lanson Le White Label Sec, 🍾 Cattier Dry
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that a bottle marked sec is a dry fizz?
No. On sparkling wine sec is off-dry and noticeably sweet.
Is sec sweeter than extra dry?
Yes: the order runs extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, then demi-sec.
Which food goes with a sec sparkling wine?
Light desserts, fruit and mildly sweet dishes.
Guides
What to read next
- 🗺️ Italian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- 🍾 Taittinger Nocturne Rosé — Taittinger Nocturne Rosé: a non-vintage rosé Champagne (Sec) from Taittinger. Chardonnay 35 %, Pinot Noir 40 %, Pinot Meunier 25 %, plus 11–14 % red wine (according to the house).
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🍾 Taittinger Nocturne — Taittinger Nocturne: a non-vintage white Champagne (Sec) from Taittinger. Chardonnay 40 %, Pinot Noir 35 %, Pinot Meunier 25 % (according to the house).
- 🍾 Lanson Le White Label Sec — Lanson Le White Label Sec: a non-vintage white Champagne (Sec) from Lanson. Pinot Noir 50 %, Chardonnay 35 %, Meunier 15 % (according to the house).
Similar
🍷 Doux · 🍷 Extra dry · 🍷 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.