If you’ve drunk Sparkling Wine or Champagne before, you may have noticed a term on the label that seems a little strange: Brut. What does Brut mean? Does it mean the Sparkling Wine likes to get into fights? Is it a bit rough around the edges? You’d be forgiven for thinking it means the same thing as a brute – being a savage person. But there is nothing savage about a Brut wine – don’t worry it’s not going to fight you! Understanding what this means will help you choose the right Sparkling Wine or Champagne for your tastes (learn more about Sparkling wine here). So let’s jump into what this wine term means.
What does Brut mean?
Brut is a French term meaning uncut, rough or raw. But don’t fret, this doesn’t mean your wine is rough! In Sparkling Wine and Champagne, this term indicates the amount of sweetness in the wine. So it refers to a style of Sparkling Wine based on how sweet it is.
In the process of making Sparkling Wine, particularly in the traditional method, there is a stage where a dosage is added. The bottle is topped up with additional wine to make up for the liquid removed when the yeast is removed (the reason there are bubbles in your glass). This dosage can be a mixture of wine and additional sweetness, and based on this you’ll get a certain level of sweetness in the wine. So it is used to indicate a certain level of residual sugar left in the wine. This started as a term purely used for Champagne, but it has now spread across the world.
How sweet is brut?
So on a scale of dry to very sweet, how sweet is it? Not very – it is actually one of the driest, crispest styles out there. Think of mouthwatering and refreshing glasses of bubbly.
Brut can be broken into three categories: brut nature, extra brut and brut. All three categories allow as little as 0 grams of residual sugar, with brut nature having the lowest ceiling, making it the driest of the dry. Most of the time you will find it is the most common term that is used. This is what you’re most likely to pick up in a bottle store.
Although Brut has a little sweetness, you won’t have a perception of it. It usually contains no more than 12 grams/litre of residual sugar, but it will taste dry.
The final word on what brut means
So next time you see a Sparkling Wine or Champagne labelled brut, you’ll know you are in for a dry and refreshing style of wine. Something that makes your mouth water and pairs perfectly with things like popcorn. It is the most common type of Sparkling Wine you’ll find, but if you are keen to find something even drier, try seeking out an Extra Brut or Brut Nature. You might find you’re new favourite wine!