Home / FAQ

Brut or Extra Dry: which Prosecco should I buy?

Buy Brut if you like your bubbles crisp, dry and fresh. Buy Extra Dry if you prefer a softer, slightly sweeter glass, because despite the name, Extra Dry is the sweeter of the two. Both Bella Principessa wines are Brut: the Gold and the Rosé Brut each have 12 g/L of residual sugar.

The name that confuses everyone

Wine labels have a sense of humor. On Prosecco, "Extra Dry" sits on the sweeter side of "Brut", not the drier one. So if you pick up an Extra Dry expecting something bone dry, you'll find it rounder and softer than you thought.

Brut is also a sweetness level, not a different kind of wine. A bottle can be Prosecco and Brut at the same time, and ours are. For the full ladder of sweetness terms, see the sweetness levels of Prosecco on our sister site.

Who will love Brut

• You order your coffee black, or your gin and tonic with extra lime.
• You like a wine that wakes up your appetite before dinner.
• You're serving salty or savory food: oysters, chips, cheese, fried anything.
• You're mixing mimosas or spritzes, where the juice or bitter liqueur brings its own sweetness.

Bella Principessa Brut has 12 g/L of residual sugar, which gives it a crisp, clean finish without tasting sharp. The Gold brings green apple, pear and citrus. The Rosé Brut brings strawberry, raspberry and ripe peach.

Who would prefer an Extra Dry

We'll be honest, because it saves you a disappointing bottle. If you usually find sparkling wine too tart, if you like a wine with fruity dessert, or if your favorite white is soft and off-dry, an Extra Dry will probably make you happier than either of ours. Neither Bella Principessa wine is made in that style, and that is fine. The best bottle is the one you'll finish with a smile.

Not sure which camp you're in? Taste a Brut first. Many people who think they want sweet find that a well-made Brut tastes fruity rather than dry, especially the Rosé.

A quick test at the table

If you're buying for a group and can't guess their taste, try this. Pour a small glass of Brut with something salty, like a potato chip or a piece of Parmigiano. Salt softens the edges of a dry wine and brings out its fruit, so most people find Brut friendlier with food than on its own.

If someone still finds it too dry, that's your answer: they are an Extra Dry person, and there's no shame in it. For everyone else, Brut is the more versatile bottle, because it works as an aperitif, with dinner and in cocktails. For more on what the word means, see the Brut truth about Prosecco sweetness.

Choosing between our two Bruts

If Brut is your style, the next choice is color and fruit. Pick the Gold for citrus and seafood, or the Rosé for berries and brunch. Both are 11% alcohol, 750 ml, with a suggested retail price of $20.99. Start with Bella Principessa Prosecco D.O.C. Brut.

Order them online from Primo Liquors, or find both at shops in Florida, where it's worth calling ahead.