The Prosecco sweetness scale
| Label word | Sugar per liter | Sugar in a 5 oz glass | How it tastes | Rosé allowed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brut Nature | 0 to 3 g | under 0.5 g | Bone dry, sharp | Yes |
| Extra Brut | 0 to 6 g | under 1 g | Very dry | Yes |
| Brut | under 12 g | under 2 g | Dry, crisp | Yes |
| Extra Dry | 12 to 17 g | about 2 to 2.5 g | Off-dry, soft | Yes |
| Dry | 17 to 32 g | about 2.5 to 5 g | Noticeably sweet | No |
| Demi-Sec | 32 to 50 g | about 5 to 7.5 g | Sweet | No |
Sugar per glass is worked out for a 5 oz (150 mL) pour. These are the ranges the rules allow, not a measurement of any one bottle.
Why is Extra Dry sweeter than Brut?
Because these are category names, not descriptions. Extra Dry sits at 12 to 17 grams of sugar per liter, above Brut’s limit of 12. The words were fixed long before anyone asked them to make sense in English. Don’t confuse Extra Dry with Extra Brut, which is drier than Brut.
Which Prosecco is sweet?
Look for Dry or Demi-Sec on the label. Those are the sweet styles; Demi-Sec is the sweetest. If a store only stocks Brut and Extra Dry, Extra Dry is the sweeter of the two. For a “sweet Prosecco,” the word on the label matters more than the brand.
Which should you choose?
- For mimosas, spritzes and Bellinis: Brut. The juice or the bitter liqueur already brings sugar. Aperol Spritz recipe
- On its own as an aperitif: Brut or Extra Dry, to taste.
- With fruit desserts or wedding cake: Dry or Demi-Sec.
Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC and Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC Rosé are both Brut.
Does sweetness change the calories?
Only a little. A 5 oz glass of Brut has about 95 to 100 calories, and most of that comes from the alcohol, not the sugar. How many calories are in Prosecco?
Related: Is Prosecco sweet or dry? · Is Prosecco Rosé sweet? · Types of Prosecco
Source: Prosecco DOC consortium: types and sweetness categories
