How Dry Do You Like Your Sparkling Wine?

When asked “What is your favourite wine?” do you recall every wine you’ve ever tasted or does the answer immediately come to mind?

Is your answer red, white, sparkling? Or dry, sweet and brut? 

On a weekly basis 12.3% of the UK population love to drink sparkling wine, and I’m sure you, as the reader, are among them. But whilst this statistic suggests sparkling wine is not the most popular drink out there, it is still important for regular and new sparkling fans to delve deeper into what they consume, and what they like! 

As there are numerous nutritional components that go into a bottle, one component most people are concerned about is the level of sugar they intake.

But did you know there are seven classifications in a sweetness chart for sparkling wine? Yes, you heard me seven. However, depending on your preferences or health restrictions, there is bound to be a sparkling wine that works for you. 

So, let us introduce to you our seven categories: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Demi-Sec and Dolce. 

But, first let’s take it back to the very beginning.

If you haven’t guessed already, the translation of the French word “brut” means very dry. But  you may be wondering what actually constitutes a wine being brut from dry? Well the answer is simple, as it is the difference of residual sugar in the wine. 

Usually, the quantity of residual sugar is not disclosed on the wine label - so just to save you the headache, don’t bother looking. The reason for this could be because winemakers are not legally required to state this, so finding your preferred dry wine may be more difficult than it seems. 

Fortunately, if you find a sparkling wine like ThinK Wine Group, that freely shares their residual sugar on their labels, website, social media, leaflets, and more, you will know exactly which category of dry you prefer. 

So let us spell it out. 

Brut Nature  - 0- 3 g/l of residual sugar

Extra Brut - 0-6g/l of residual sugar

Brut - 0-12g/l of residual sugar

Extra Dry - 12-17 g/l residual sugar

Dry - 17-32 g/l residual sugar

Demi-Sec - 32 – 50 g/l residual sugar

Dolce - 50+ g/l residual sugar

Your classic mass produced Prosecco tends to fall into the Extra Dry category as the quality of the grape needs that extra umph with sugar. However, at ThinK we let our grapes do the singing. 

ThinK Wine Group recently travelled to Italy to explore our vineyard and observe how our wines are made, right from the roots and branches of the grape. Care and attention to a grape, even before it buds, is critical to bringing out the grape's flavours. This is the reason as to why we are classified as an Extra Brut sparkling wine, because we take care of our premium, quality Glera grape. 

Not only is low quantities of sugar good for you but it is lighter on the palette and pairs well with food groups like cheese, lobster, pasta or risotto. But when 51% of the UK frequently consume large amounts of sugar, these perks fail to stand out. 

So, if you are looking for or tempted by a low sugar sparkling wine that still has a hint of sweetness, with lots of flavour and taste, then a Brut Nature, Extra Brut or Brut is the one for you. 

What better time to begin than now, as we approach the year 2024? Dry January is a month when many people try to cut back on their alcohol consumption. But ThinK is there for those who simply want to improve their health, take better care of their bodies, or intake less sugar than usual.