Sparkling wine’s sweet finishing touch

Sparkling wine achieves balance through dosage. iStock/Getty Images Plus/Jasmina81 photo

Dosage is the final flourish that transforms sparkling wine from a lively, fizzy beverage into a masterpiece of balance and finesse.

After secondary fermentation—the process where base wine is bottled with a precise mix of sugar and yeast to create natural carbonation—the wine is left to mature in contact with its lees. The lees (dead yeast cells) impart subtle notes of bread and biscuit that add to the wine’s character.

Next comes disgorgement, which involves chilling the bottle’s neck to freeze any sediment, which is swiftly expelled to reveal a clear and refined sparkling wine.

Winemakers then introduce dosage, a measured addition of wine and sugar that perfectly harmonizes the wine’s acidity.

The amount of sugar used during dosage softens the acidity and sets the sparkling wine’s sweetness profile, which is categorized as follows:

• On the sweeter side, Doux has 50 or more grams of sugar per litre, resulting in a taste profile that would feel like adding about two teaspoons of sugar to every glass—a style reminiscent of historical Champagne, which was quite sugary.

• Just a step down, Demi-Sec contains between 32 and 50 grams of sugar and has seen a modern comeback among enthusiasts with a sweet tooth.

• In the middle ground is Sec. Despite its name meaning “dry” in French, this style is medium-sweet, containing 17 to 32 grams of sugar per litre.

• Extra Sec, or Extra Dry, offers a slightly less sweet profile with 12 to 17 grams of sugar.

• The most popular style is Brut, which has up to 12 grams of sugar, providing a balanced, refreshing character.

• Extra Brut contains fewer than six grams for those who prefer a crisper edge.

• In comparison, Brut Nature is made with virtually no sugar added (fewer than three grams), showcasing the wine’s pure, racy essence.

Ultimately, the dosage is not merely an additive—it is an artful calibration that allows winemakers to tailor the sparkling wine experience, ensuring every sip is as delightful as it is distinctive.

Three sparkling wines to try

Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old
(Champagne, France, $112.99)
Peach, toasted hazelnuts, orchard fruits. Delicious and decadent.

Pol Roger Reserve Brut
(Champagne, France, $89.99)
Powerful aromas of mandarin orange, honey and fresh bread. Textural and lively.

Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Brut Rosé
(Okanagan Falls, B.C., $40)
Fresh strawberries and hints of biscuit on the palate.

Christine Campbell

Christine Campbell is a Vancouver-based freelance and travel writer, educator and host of the Wine Soundtrack Canada podcast. She is WSET certified and is a French Wine Scholar. Follow Christine’s adventures in wine and abroad at girlsgogrape.com and on Instagram at @girlsgograpedotcom.