The short answer
Dosage is the addition made at the very end of the traditional method, after the lees have been removed. It helps determine how sweet and how balanced a sparkling wine tastes.
Two steps not to confuse
The sugar for the second fermentation and the final dosage serve different purposes. The dosage is added after disgorgement, meaning after the lees have been removed from the bottle. It's not a sign of poor quality. Nor does it automatically turn the wine sweet.
The difference lies mainly in the timing. The sugar for the second fermentation goes in beforehand and is consumed by the yeast. It largely disappears as the carbon dioxide forms. The dosage is added only afterward, once the lees have been removed from the bottle and no further fermentation takes place. Whatever is added at this stage remains in the wine.
This gives rise to a common misconception: that a sparkling wine with dosage was sweetened afterward because the base product wasn't good enough. In fact, the addition is a standard step at the end of the traditional method. Through it, the producer fine-tunes the balance. Whether you like the result is something you decide in the glass, not by knowing the technique.
Less isn't automatically better
A bottle without added dosage sugar doesn't have to taste better to you than one with dosage. When choosing, it's better to ask about the finished impression: fresh, balanced, soft, or distinctly sweet.
When comparing two variants, start without food. Then try a small bite and notice whether you still prefer the same one. The outcome can change depending on the occasion. The technical term helps with understanding. It shouldn't become a ranking where the lowest number wins.
When tasting, consider two things separately: the sweetness you perceive, and the overall impression. A sparkling wine can be noticeably sweet and still feel fresh, because acidity and the perlage counterbalance it. Perlage is the fine rise of bubbles in the glass. Conversely, a very low dosage can make a wine seem hard and angular. The impression you remember only emerges from how these elements work together.
The occasion often shifts preferences more than expected. As an aperitif before a meal, many reach for the drier variant. With a rich or slightly sweet dish, that same bottle can then feel thin. So put the two wines side by side again on different occasions. A firm opinion after the first comparison can easily mislead you.
Keeping dosage and sweetness statement separate
The dosage statement and the taste impression in the glass are two different things, even though they're related. This overview shows you what to actually base your answers on for the usual buying questions.
If you're unsure about a bottle, work through these questions in order before looking at numbers or technical terms. Usually your own impression gets you further than the classification on the label. And you'll quickly notice which statements will genuinely mean something to you in the future.
| Question | What you can check |
|---|---|
| What sweetness effect do I want? | Flavor category and specific balance |
| Is less dosage always better? | No; the balance that suits you is what matters. |
| Is dosage the same addition as before the second fermentation? | The steps differ: dosage here comes after removing the lees. |
Dosage isn't sweetening added out of desperation afterward
The first misconception concerns direction. Dosage doesn't automatically mean sweet. It can be very minimal, and even then it noticeably changes the overall impression. The second concerns quality. The level of dosage doesn't tell you how carefully a wine was made. It tells you something about the chosen style, nothing more.
The third misconception is especially persistent: that anyone who prefers dry should consistently reach for the variant without added dosage sugar. This can only be clarified by tasting. Some wines lack a certain roundness without this final addition. Others come across as clearer precisely because of it. Both exist, and it's purely a matter of taste.
Tasting two sweetness levels side by side
Place two bottles with different sweetness statements side by side, at the same temperature and in identical glasses. Pour both before you taste, and switch back and forth several times. Note in one sentence which you spontaneously find more pleasant, before looking at the labels. The order of the first sip influences the judgment. So reverse it on the second round.
Then add food. A piece of hard cheese, a handful of salted nuts, some smoked fish: salt and fat noticeably shift the perception of sweetness. It's quite possible you'll now reach for the other bottle. This observation is the real payoff of the exercise. It shows you what to base your choice on at your next purchase.