Prosecco is not automatically sweeter than Champagne. Both come in different sweetness styles, so compare the words on the labels. Brut Prosecco and Brut Champagne belong to the same broad sweetness category. Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut, despite what its name suggests.
The Brut truth about Prosecco
If you prefer a dry sparkling wine, look for a dry style of Prosecco. The name of the wine alone will not settle the question. A bottle labelled Brut and one labelled Extra Dry can offer different levels of sweetness, even when both are Prosecco.
Extra Dry is the particularly confusing one. It sounds like the driest choice. It is actually sweeter than Brut. For the detailed categories and sugar ranges, see our Prosecco sweetness scale.
Compare Brut with Brut
Compare the styles on the labels before comparing the names. A comparison between Extra Dry Prosecco and Brut Champagne is also a comparison between different sweetness categories. It cannot tell you that all Prosecco is sweeter than all Champagne.
Brut Prosecco and Brut Champagne belong to the same broad sweetness category. That does not make every bottle identical. For an exact sugar or calorie comparison, use the specific bottles’ product information and the same serving size.
Which style should I choose?
Start with what you enjoy drinking. Bella Principessa’s white Prosecco DOC and Prosecco DOC Rosé are both Brut. That is a useful label clue; a pink color alone does not tell you how sweet a wine will taste.
If you enjoy a drier finish, Brut is a useful starting point. If you prefer a little more sweetness, compare Extra Dry styles. Our guide to choosing dry or sweet Prosecco explains how fruitiness and sweetness can feel different in the glass.
Drink the style you enjoy. Wine is not a virtue test.
What does DOC tell me?
DOC identifies the wine’s protected origin and production rules; it is not a sweetness level. A wine can be both Prosecco DOC and Brut. See Prosecco DOC versus Brut for that label distinction.
Sources
Prosecco DOC styles and sweetness. See our Prosecco and Champagne comparison for the broader differences between the wines.
