Asking “Brut or Prosecco?” is like asking “diet or cola?” One word is the drink; the other tells you which version you’re getting.
What Brut means
Brut is French for “raw” or “unrefined,” and on sparkling wine it means dry. Brut Prosecco has under 12 grams of sugar per liter, about 2 grams or less in a 5 oz glass. The word isn’t Italian or exclusive to Prosecco: Champagne, cava and American sparkling wines use it too. So you can have Brut Prosecco, Brut Champagne or Brut cava, and each is a different wine.
What Prosecco DOC means
Prosecco DOC is the wine’s origin and rulebook: grapes grown in nine provinces of northeast Italy, at least 85% Glera, made under the Prosecco DOC rules and checked before sale. It says nothing about sweetness. What is Prosecco DOC?
So a label can say Prosecco DOC (where and how it’s made) and Brut (how dry it is) at the same time. Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC, for example, is a Brut.
Brut vs Extra Dry Prosecco
These are the two you’ll see most often in US stores, and the names point the wrong way:
- Brut: drier, crisper. Under 12 g of sugar per liter.
- Extra Dry: slightly sweeter and softer. 12 to 17 g per liter.
If you want the drier bottle, pick Brut. All six sweetness levels
Which is better for mimosas and spritzes?
Brut. Orange juice, peach purée and Aperol all add sugar of their own, and a Brut keeps the drink fresh instead of sticky. Prosecco cocktails
Related: Is Prosecco sweet or dry? · What does DOC mean on Prosecco?
Source: Prosecco DOC consortium: production rules, styles and sweetness
