Tempted to grab that extra glass of wine (or two) at dinner to wind down? Even by following a healthy diet and exercise routine, you might be packing on the calories with a few additional sips of Sauvignon Blanc. Since there’s no nutritional labels on wine bottles, how can you tell how many calories are in a glass of your favourite wine?
According to the International Wine Guild, the calories in rosé, red, and white wines are nearly identical – you just need to worry about alcohol and sugar content. To estimate the calorie content of dry wine, with less than one percent residual sugar, multiply the number of ounces you are drinking by the alcohol content, and multiply by 1.6.
For example, if you were to drink a five-ounce glass of Chardonnay at 14% alcohol by volume (ABV), you’d calculate as follows:
5 ounces x 14 % x 1.6 calories per ounce = 112 calories (this is just for one serving!)
In case you don’t want to break out the calculator on your next evening out, here’s a breakdown of the approximate number of calories in popular types of wine:
1. Sweet White | Red Wines, Low Alcohol (5% – 9% ABV):
92 – 123 calories per 5 oz. serving
Examples: Moscato d’Asti, Brachetto d’Acqui, German Riesling (Spätlese, Auslese)
2. White | Red Wines, Medium-Low Alcohol (10 – 11.5% ABV):
90 – 122 calories per 5 oz. serving
Examples: Muscadet, Lambrusco, Pinot Grigio, Grüner Veltliner
3. Red | White Wines, Medium Alcohol (11.5% – 13.5% ABV):
92 – 137 calories per 5 oz. serving
4. Red | White Wines, Medium-High Alcohol (13.5% – 15% ABV):
108 – 144 calories per 5 oz. serving
5. Sherry, High Alcohol (15.5 – 20% ABV):
86 – 112 calories per 2 oz. serving
6.Port, High Alcohol (19 – 21% ABV):
94 – 106 calories per 2 oz. serving
Drinking wine doesn’t automatically equal weight gain – just, as with everything, consider your intake! Were you surprised by the calorie count of any of the wine varieties on this list? Let us know your thoughts and chat with us @HOLRMagazine.