What is Dosage in Sparkling Wine?
Dosage is the finishing touch in the process of making traditional method sparkling wine. During the traditional method, excess yeast – known as lees – is created following a second fermentation in the bottle. The lees impart delicious flavours and texture to the wine but needs to be extracted before a cork is added and the wine is ready to be served or bought.
The lees are removed through disgorgement, when the CO2 pressure is used to blast the yeast from the neck of the bottle. Inevitably, some of the wine is lost in this process and the bottle needs to be topped up, which we do with wine and sugar. It is the sugar element that is known as the dosage.
The delicate addition of sugar balances the natural acidity, rounds out the flavours and brings harmony to the finished wine. At Rathfinny we like to think of dosage as seasoning: a pinch of salt can help lift a dish without making it salty. In the same way, a specific amount of sugar can bring out the flavour of a wine without making it taste sweet.
Did you know? Historically, Sparkling Wines had a foil around the neck to disguise the volume of the wine as each bottle would be different. Thankfully, due to modern practices we are now able to be precise about the volume in each bottle!
Understanding Sparkling Wine Labels
Have you ever wondered what terms like Brut, Extra Dry or Demi-Sec actually mean? They all refer to the amount of sugar in the finished wine, but the terminology can be confusing.
Here is a quick guide:
| Label |
Sugar Content (grams per litre) |
Taste Profile |
| Brut Nature / Zero Dosage |
0–3 g/L |
Bone dry and crisp |
| Extra Brut |
0–6 g/L |
Very dry |
| Brut |
0–12 g/L |
Dry and balanced (most common) |
| Extra Dry |
12–17 g/L |
Slightly sweet |
| Dry |
17–32 g/L |
Noticeably sweet |
| Demi-Sec |
32–50 g/L |
Sweet and rich |
The tricky part is that terms like Extra Dry and Dry sound like they would be less sweet, but in sparkling wine they are actually sweeter than Brut. So, if you prefer a dry style, Brut or Extra Brut is what you should look for on the label.
