Brut, extra dry and spumante are types of well known sparkling wines. Brut vs extra dry vs spumante is one of the most asked questions in the world of wine today and we have your answer right here. Brut and extra dry sparkling wine can be called Champagne but not spumante.
Although, Prosecco DOC spumante can be manufactured in the different types of sparkling wines of Brut, dry, extra dry, and Demi-sec. Brut sparkling wine is dry and sweet but extra dry sparkling wine is not as dry as Brut Champagne and in fact, is sweeter than Brut Champagne.
Origin
Brut and extra dry Champagne is from France while spumante is from Italy. Prosecco doc spumante grown from glare fruits are also well known. The vines from where the Spumante wine is to be found only in the parts of Verona in Italy. The production of the Prosecco Doc and Prosecco Doc Tivesa takes place in Italy
Prosecco spumante can be found as brut dry and extra dry, from their order from driest to the sweetest. For Prosecco wine, extra dry and dry is similar to extra sec and sec in champagne. Whenever you see extra brut or extra dry on the wine label don’t get confused and blame yourself.
This indicated that the sparkling wine is dry than a Brut sparkling wine with a residual of 6 grams per liter of sugar.
In the level of sweetness, Spumante is sweeter than Brut and extra dry, extra dry comes in second which is in between the sweetness scale and lastly, we have brut with is a bit dry Spumante means sparkling in Italian.
In general, sparkling wines that are called Spumante tend to be sweet than the rest of the brut sparkling wines made from Moscato grapes. Spumante wine is manufactured using the Charmat process which includes fermentation taking place in the tank which results in Spumante wine that doesn’t have yeast.
The brut and extra dry Champagne are the world’s best-known champagnes. They taste sour or a little bitter than the other types of wine like the prosecco Spumante from Italy. Brut vs extra dry vs Spumante in their levels of sweetness differs from each other.
Brut vs Extra Dry vs Spumante - Differences
- Brut and extra dry wines are both Champagne while Spumante is a sparkling wine.
- Brut and extra dry wines are from France while Spumante is from Italy.
- In the level of sweetness, Brut is dry, extra dry is a little bit dry and moderate sweetness while Spumante is sweet.
Brut vs extra dry vs spumante which is better? The main difference between brut, extra dry, and Spumante is the residual of sugar per liter, which is the main determinant in the sweetness of the wine. Basically, the sugar residue left in the tank is determined by how long does fermentation in the tank takes place.
During the fermentation process, the yeast ears up the sugar residue converting it into alcohol. The winemaker has a duty to observe the fermentation period until the required level of sugar residue is obtained.
So in general, the longer the fermentation period, the higher the chance of manufacturing a dry Prosecco whereas, in order to manufacture a sweet Prosecco like Spumante, the fermentation period shouldn’t belong as it should be interrupted by cooling in the tank.
It is therefore important to note the level of sugar each type of Prosecco has, whether it is sweet or bitter, in order to pair it with the most suitable food.
Prosecco Brut
This is the driest form of Prosecco wine. This is because it has a low level of sugar residue, which is less than 12 grams per liter. In order to achieve this, the winemaker interrupted the second fermentation process in the tank, when the sugar residue is less than 12 grams per liter.
Prosecco Brut is good for serving with any fried fish as it’s acidity makes them pair well. Prosecco Brut is usually dry and a little bit bitter.
Extra Dry Prosecco Wine
This type of wine, despite its name, is sweeter than prosecco brut. This is because Prosecco extra dry sparkling wine has a higher level of sugar residue than Prosecco Brut hence is sweeter.
The winemaker is supposed to interrupt the second fermentation process in the tank when the sugar residue level is between 12 and 17 grams per liter. Because of its freshness and the level of sweetness is moderate, it is best accompanied with happy hour meals and is the classic version of the Prosecco sparkling wine.
Prosecco Dry
Prosecco dry is third in the scale of the level of sweetness. This is because Prosecco dry has a higher level of sugar residue than Prosecco extra dry and Prosecco brut, hence is sweeter. The winemaker is supposed to interrupt the fermentation process in the tank when the sugar residue level is between 17 and 32 grams per liter.
Because of its sweetness, Prosecco dry is used as an after-dinner drink with some cocktails. It also pairs perfectly with biscuits and crisps that are not that sweet.
Prosecco Spumante
This is the sweetest in the scale of the level of sweetness. This is because Prosecco Spumante has a higher level of sugar residue than Prosecco dry, Prosecco extra dry and Prosecco brut hence it is the sweetest.
The winemaker is supposed to interrupt the fermentation process in the tank when the sugar residue level is between 32 and 50 grams per liter. Because of its sweetness, it is paired and used as desserts that are taken after meals.
You could also read about Brut vs extra dry wines.
Brut vs Extra Dry vs Spumante - Conclusion
Brut vs Extra dry vs Spumante doesn’t highlight the quality of the wine as the amount of sugar residue level doesn’t affect the quality of the wine hence we cannot compare the quality of Prosecco Brut, Prosecco extra dry and Spumante.
Both Prosecco Brut and Prosecco extra dry are useful for different occasions may it be birthday parties to weddings. In order to choose the type of sparkling wine that you need, it is highly important to know how they all differ from each other and how to pair them with foodstuffs to produce a good moment.
