Living a healthy and balanced lifestyle
Wine is best enjoyed in moderation, as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle that is unique to each individual person. The Right Amount is different for everyone – and for some it is none. Consumption behaviours can differ based on lifestyle changes, health goals, mood, or personal preferences.
Consumption is a personal choice and an important consideration to support a healthy lifestyle. Knowing what’s in your glass – from calories, to sugar, to alcohol content – is important for defining the Right Amount for you.
Overconsumption is linked to numerous health risks and as such, one’s relationship with wine should be evaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure that you are drinking responsibly as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Sugar and calorie information
Just like the food you eat, it’s important to understand the sugar and calorie content in the wine you are consuming.
Is there sugar in wine?
Yes, wine contains sugar, but the amount varies.
Grapes have natural sugars, and fermentation converts most of that sugar into alcohol. Any leftover sugar is called residual sugar, and it makes the wine taste sweeter.
Here’s the key to understanding sugar content in wine: drier wines (like cabernet sauvignon) have less residual sugar, while sweeter wines (like dessert or ice wines) have more. So, just like food, sweetness is a good clue to sugar content!
Is wine high in calories?
While most calories in wine come from the alcohol (approximately 120 calories per 5 oz glass), sweeter wines can have more calories due to the residual sugar. Dryness is a good indicator of calorie content in wine.
Calories in Wine
Most of the calories in wine come from alcohol – not carbohydrates.
A bottle of wine (750ml/25oz) contains approximately 600 calories. A standard drink of wine is typically 120 calories. Calories don’t differ drastically by different types of wine.
- A 6oz glass of light, dry white wine at 10% alcohol contains about 100 calories.
- A 5oz glass of red or white wine at 13% alcohol contains about 120 calories.
- A 4oz glass of bold, red, wine at 15% alcohol contains about 130 calories.
For comparison,
- a pint of beer (16oz) with 5% alcohol contains about 230 calories;
- a ready to drink “cooler” (12oz can) with 5% alcohol contains up to 270 calories; and
- a shot of vodka (1.5oz) contains about 100 calories.
How much sugar and calories are in your wine?
From a bone-dry Sauvignon Blanc or Grigio to the super-sweet dessert and ice wines, the calorie and sugar content varies quite a bit.
The amount of calories and sugar in your wine is determined by multiple reasons, but some of the typical factors are:
Using our interactive widget, find out the average amount of sugar and calories found in a standard serving of wine.
What are you drinking?
What's in your wine?
These amounts are based on averages per standard drink size of each wine type. The averages we use can be found here.
This widget should be used for entertainment and information purposes only and should not be relied upon for diet or specific data as the amounts provided are averages.
