abboccato

Italian · half-dry

Abboccato is the Italian term that EU law lists as the equivalent of demi-sec for sparkling wine: 32 to 50 g/L of sugar.1

The Italian scale

In Italian, the EU bands read dosaggio zero for brut nature, secco or asciutto for sec (17-32 g/L), abboccato for demi-sec and dolce for doux (over 50 g/L).1

Disciplinari may allow a range of these terms: Asti, for example, may be made from pas dosé to dolce.2 See spumante and the sugar scale.

Where the sugar comes from

After disgorgement the wine receives the liqueur d'expédition, cane sugar dissolved in wine; UMC gives 0 to 5-6 cl per bottle.3,4 Its amount decides which sweetness term the label may carry.

See also

demi-secGlossarydolceGlossaryamabileGlossaryspumanteGlossaryAstiRegionsThe sugar scale of sparkling wineDosage

Sources

  1. legislation.gov.uk (copy of EU OJ text). Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Annex III Part A (sugar-content terms for sparkling wines), original version as adopted (2018-10-17)
  2. Regione Piemonte. Disciplinare di produzione DOCG Asti (2025-01)
  3. Union des Maisons de Champagne. Dosage
  4. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Fiche Élaboration du Champagne (FR) (2024-05)

Facts checked on 2026-10-19