Brut Nature, also known as Brut Zero or Non-Dosage, is a style of sparkling wine that is made without the addition of any sugar before bottling. This results in a wine that is dry, or “brut,” in taste.
The vinification process for Brut Nature sparkling wine typically begins with the grape variety used and the terroir where the grapes are grown. Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted. Then grapes are pressed in a traditional way, also known as “Champagne method”, where the juice is fermented in the bottle and the secondary fermentation takes place in bottle with the addition of yeast and sugar. This process creates carbon dioxide, which gives the wine its bubbles.
Unlike traditional sparkling wines, which have sugar added before bottling to balance the acidity and create a sweeter taste, no sugar is added to Brut Nature sparkling wine, resulting in a wine that is dry and crisp in taste. After this secondary fermentation the wine is left to age on its lees (dead yeast cells) for a period of time, usually at least 2 years for a non vintage and at least 3 years for vintage wine.
After the aging period, the wines undergo a process called “remuage” where the dead yeast cells are collected in the neck of the bottle. Then wine is disgorged, or the yeast cells are removed, and a small amount of wine is added to the bottle to top it up. The wine is then corked and labeled as Brut Nature.
Because of the dry taste, Brut Nature sparkling wine is often considered to be a more elegant and sophisticated wine, and it pairs well with a variety of foods including seafood, sushi, and light appetizers.
