Is it sweet nectar or bone dry when a bottle of bubbly is popping? There are issues – how much Brut Champagne sugar is? What is the sweetest wine? Use our champagne sweetness scale of Champagne to nail the right fizz bottle, or you can look for another reference of best champagne for mimosas.
How Sweet Is My Champagne?
- Brut Nature 0-3 g/L residual sugar (RS)(aka Brut Zero) 0-2 calories and up to 0.15 carbs for a total of 91–93 calories per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
- Extra Brut 0-6 g/L RS0-6 calories and up to 0.9 carbs per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving. A total of 91–96 calories per serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
- Brut 0-12 g/L RS0-7 calories and up to 1.8 carbs per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving. A total of 91–98 calories per serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
- Extra Dry 12-17 g/L RS7-10 calories and 1.8–2.6 carbs per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving. A total of 98–101 calories per serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
- Dry 17-32 g/L RS(aka Secco) 10-19 calories and 2.6–4.8 carbs per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving. A total of 101–111 calories per serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
- Demi-Sec 32-50 g/L RS19-30 calories and 4.8–7.5 carbs per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving. A total of 111–121 calories per serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
- Doux 50+ g/L RS30+ calories and more than 7.5 carbs per 5 oz (~150 ml) serving. More than 121 calories per serving of 12 % ABV sparkling wine.
Brut has much room for wiggle in candy, while Extra Brut and Brut Nature focus on the content of sugar. So, for Extra Brut or Brut Nature if it is possible, if it is kept on the dry side.
Where Does Champagne’s Sweetness Come From?
The term “Brut” is just a sparkling wine sweetness level. The sweetness comes from a process in which the producers add a small amount of grape must (or sugar) before corking the bottle in champagne called “liquor d’expédition.” Due to the high acidity of the sparkling wine, the added sweetness is to decrease the smelled aroma of the wine.
Just think of it as adding some sucrose to the coffee to “remove” the taste.
Over time, sparkling wine producers realized that people’s preference for sweetness was different, and this is why several options exist: Brut Nature doesn’t have any addition of sugar.
How Much Sugar is in Champagne Compared to Other Drinks?
One of the most fascinating things about wine is the smooth taste of wine with its little sugar. Look at how many grams in a 5 oz serving glass of sparkling wine (150 ml) is actually sugar, which is quite low compared with other drinks:
Sugar levels (in grams) in tasty drinks
- 0g Vodka Soda
- 0.5g Brut Nature Sparkling Wine
- 2g Brut Sparkling Wine
- 8g Demi-Sec Sparkling Wine
- 14g Gin & Tonic
- 16g Honest Tea Green Tea
- 17g Starbucks 2% Milk Grande Latte
- 20g Margarita on the rocks (made w/ simple syrup)
- 33g Jack & Coke
How Come Champagne Gives Me a Headache?
Here are the main reasons Brut Champagne has a reputation for headaches:
- You don’t feel thirsty: Drink more water! Drink more water! Carbonation is causing you to forget that you are thirsty. Try to drink with every wine at least one glass of water.
- You drink more: Due to its quaffable style it is easy to drink an entire bottle of Champagne. A slightly slower, more arduous process is a bottle of rich dark red wine.
- You drink later: Late-night entertainment, such as New Year parties, clubs and other debaucherous activities are accompanied by the sparkling wine. Plus, you’re also dehydrating the hot tub in which you are (you can’t tell if you sweat in warm water).
Now you’ve got our Champagne Sweetness Chart in your back-pocket! Whatever your taste for sweetness, the bubbly has an option to fit your palate.
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