Definition: Dosage (liqueur de)

A more or less significant amount of sugar added to sparkling wines produced using the traditional method after disgorging and before final corking. It is generally added in the form of a mixture of cane sugar syrup dissolved in a white wine from the appellation, known as liqueur d'expédition in Champagne. The proportions increase according to the desired quality (amount of sugar added per litre): brut intégral or brut zéro (no dosage, 0 g), extra-brut (0 to 6 g), brut (less than 10 g), extra-sec or extra-dry (12 to 20 g), sec or dry (17 to 35 g), demi-sec (33 to 50 g), doux (more than 50 g). There is often confusion with the liqueur de tirage, which is added to still wines after blending to undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle. It makes the wine more or less sparkling, depending on the quantity added.