Finally Find Out What the F*ck Brut Means on Bottles

As you're looking around the Champagne aisle for the perfect type of bubbly to bring to a party, you are confronted with an array of choices: sweet, brut, dry, extra dry, and a few more. While some of these are easy to make assumptions about, brut can definitely stump a Champagne or sparkling wine drinker. So, what exactly is brut?

"The term brut refers to a style of sparkling wine or Champagne, based on how sweet it is," Melissa Rockwell, direct-to-consumer sales manager at Long Island, NY, -based Sparkling Pointe, told POPSUGAR via email.

Developed in the 1800s, brut is a dry, crisp style of Champagne or sparkling wine, compared to the sweeter extra dry, sec, demi-sec, and doux. Those Champagnes or sparkling wines that are members of the brut variety have between zero and 12 grams per liter of residual sugar.

According to Rockwell, brut and the other terms used to describe sweetness levels originated with Champagne in France.

"The sweetness comes from a step in the méthode champenoise process, called the dosage. This is a small amount of sugar added back into the wine after disgorging and before corking. It is the last step of the méthode champenoise process and is used to balance the natural high acidity in Champagne and sparkling wine to a desired amount of dry or sweet," she said.

Brut tends to pair well with a plethora of food flavors, from caviar and oysters Rockefeller to heavier dishes like pot roast and potatoes. Additionally, bottles can range from $9 to more than $50, depending on the brand of Champagne or sparkling wine.