How many calories are in a glass of wine?
Whether you’re looking to cut calories or just curious about how many are in your favorite glass of wine, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. We will demystify how calories are calculated in wine, which wines have fewer calories, and suggest some delicious lower calorie options to try.
Where do calories come from in wine?
Unlike most packaged food and drinks, bottles of wine are not required to include nutrition facts, including the number of calories per serving. So, are there calories in wine? Of course! But don’t stress — we will dissect what makes up the calories in a glass of wine.
The two primary components that make up the calories in wine are alcohol and carbohydrates from residual sugars. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. This means the alcohol content of wine contributes more to the total calories than carbohydrates.
Alcohol
Finding the amount of alcohol in your wine is easy — it’s right on the label. Most wines are between 11% to 14% alcohol by volume. Some red wines and fortified wines range on the higher side from 14% to 20%. You can quickly determine that the higher the percentage of alcohol in the wine, the more calories it will have.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates in wine primarily come from residual sugars. Most dry-style wines, like Merlot and Pinot Grigio, have little to no sugars, while sweet dessert wines like Port have high levels of sugar, and alcohol, too.
​Determining the amount of carbohydrates is trickier than finding the ABV. You will not find this information on the bottle but will have to use your best judgement based on the style of wine.
​Even though a wine may be dry, it doesn’t mean it has fewer calories than a sweet wine. A sweet wine with higher sugar content but lower alcohol content may have fewer calories than a dry wine!
What wine is lowest in calories?
So now we know that not all types of wine are equal in calories. Depending on the style of wine it can range from 90 to 300 calories for a 5-ounce serving.
Calories in white wine
White wines are usually the lowest in calories, as they tend to have lower alcohol than other types of wine, usually falling under 12%. The most popular types of white wines, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon are usually dry and do not have much residual sugar. Sweet white wines, however, have residual sugar that can add 30 calories or more per glass.
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Dry white wine: 100–145 calories
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Sweet white wine (low ABV): 110–150 calories
Calories in red wine
The majority of red wines are dry which means the sugar does not play a large role in calories. But red wines do tend to be higher in alcohol. This increases calories per serving significantly. If you are looking for lower calories red wine, look for a bottle that is 13% or less.
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Dry red wine: 115–165 calories
Calories in dessert wines
Fortified and sweet dessert wines have the most calories per serving due to the amount of residual sugar and the high alcohol content. They can range from 160 to 275 calories per serving, which is only 3.5 ounces because of the higher alcohol content.
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Fortified & dessert wines: 160–275 calories
Calories in sparkling wine
Don’t forget about sparkling wine! Effervescent wines range from completely dry, or Brut Nature, to sweet, or Doux. Depending on the amount of added sugar, the calories in your sparkling wine will vary. A dry Champagne with no added sugars can have as few as 90 calories, whereas a sweet Champagne could have 170 calories.
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Sparkling wines: 90–170 calories
​Here’s a general guide to the average calories in wine by type for a 5-ounce pour (or a standard serving at a restaurant):
Average calories by wine type
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Cabernet Sauvignon: 115–165 calories
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Chardonnay: 100–145 calories
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Pinot Grigio: 100–145 calories
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Malbec: 115–165 calories
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Merlot: 115–165 calories
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Sauvignon Blanc: 115–165 calories
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Sparkling Wine: 90–170 calories
​Source: USDA
Lower calorie branded wines
Newer to the wine world, some winemakers offer lower-calorie wine options. These wines generally have very low to zero residual sugars and lower alcohol by volume, around 8 to 10%. Most options range from 80 to 100 calories per 5 ounces.
Here are some lower-calorie wines to explore:
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Klean – Rose, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
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Cupcake LightHearted – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Rose, Chardonnay
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Yellow Tail Pure Bright – Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
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FitVine – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Red Blend, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio
Whether you’re counting calories or just looking to sip smarter, feel good in saying yes to options that fit your needs.
