Champagne Varieties
Whether the champagne is dry (meaning not sweet) or sweet depends on the final dosage consisting of a sugar-wine mixture added just before bottling. This process helps carbonate to create the bubbles.Pink champagne is made from pressings allowed to stay on the skins a bit longer than usual (the pigment in the pinot noir grape skins pinkens the juice).
The champagne label will determine the level of sweetness as follows, although U.S. domestic champagne copies may use different terms created for local products.
• brut: bone dry to almost dry; less than 1.5 percent sugar
• extra sec or extra dry: slightly sweeter; 1.2 to 2 percent sugar
• sec: medium sweet; 1.7 to 3.5 percent sugar (dessert wine)
• demi-sec: extra sweet; 3.3 to 5 percent sugar (dessert wine)
• doux: very sweet; over 5 percent sugar (dessert wine)
More About Champagne
• Champagne History• Champagne Varieties
• How to Open Champagne
• Champagne Cooking Tips
• Champagne Recipes
Champagne Photo © 2007 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
