Perhaps you enjoy a glass of white wine every now and then but are worried that there are too many calories in the beverage. Don’t worry, we are here to help, and in this article, we will be taking a look at the calorie count of white wine and seeing if there are differences between some of the varieties of white wine. After all, white wines are different. You can get light-bodied white wine, full-bodied, acidic, dry, and sweet white wines, and their attributes affect the calorie content.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of White Wine
Wine serving sizes vary from bar to bar, restaurant to restaurant but the US Department of Health & Human Services suggests that a serving size should be 5 oz so we will use this measure in our calculations.
An ounce of white wine has approximately 24 calories, meaning that there are around 120 calories in a glass and 600 calories in a bottle. However, this is just an average number, and certain factors can change the calorie count. The most important factors are the sugar content and the alcohol content. We will take a look at both here.
How Does The Sugar Content of White Wine Affect Its Calorie Count?
A gram of sugar contains around 4 calories so the sweeter the wine is, the more calories it will have. However, this doesn’t always mean that a dry wine has fewer calories. It could even have more than a sweet wine. This is because there are other factors involved.
How Does The Alcohol Content of White Wine Affect Its Calorie Count?
A gram of alcohol has around 7 calories which is more than a gram of sugar. This means that even if the wine doesn’t seem that sweet, it could have more calories if it has a high alcohol content.
Sweet wines generally contain less alcohol because the fermentation process is stopped before it has finished. This is because the yeast turns the natural sugars in the grapes into alcohol, and if you want a sweet wine, you are going to need some of the sugar. Therefore, the fermentation process is stopped. The earlier you stop it, the sweeter the wine will be. A dry wine is made by allowing the yeast to eat all the natural sugars and therefore it becomes more alcoholic and less sweet.
The Calorie Count Of Different White Wines
As you know, there are many different varieties of white wine as well as types, for example, still wine, sparkling, dessert wine, and fortified wine. We will leave fortified wines out of the equation for the purpose of this article as it has a spirit added and that’s a whole different ball game.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a very popular white wine, often paired with a charcuterie board and aged cheeses. It is a fruity wine, with flavors ranging from apple and lemon to papaya and pineapple, depending on where it is produced. If it is aged in oak, you will taste vanilla and the wine will seem buttery. However, it isn’t a particularly sweet wine despite these flavors. On the other hand, it has a reasonable alcohol content, usually ranging between 13.5% and 15% which is high for a white wine. The lack of sweetness brings down the calorie count but the alcohol brings it back up. On average, a glass of Chardonnay has 120 calories.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc tastes grassy and herbaceous with a range of fruit notes. Depending on where the wine was produced, you can have hints of gooseberry, passionfruit, melon, or grapefruit. There can even be bell pepper notes. One of the most classic wine and food pairings is Sauvignon Blanc with goat’s cheese. This wine has a low sugar content but a reasonably high alcohol content. The ABV ranges between 12.5% to 14%. On average, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc has 119 calories, very similar to Chardonnay.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Riesling
Riesling is a crisp refreshing wine that boasts flavors of pears, peaches, apples, and apricots. It pairs well with cheese, light fish dishes, and seafood. It is low in sugar but contains a reasonable amount of alcohol. The ABV is usually between 12.5% and 13%. Because of this, a glass of Riesling has about 120 calories. However, it can vary as some Rieslings are sweet, while others are dry.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer is generally considered to be a sweet wine but it can be produced as a drier wine. It boasts aromas of rose, apricot, and tropical fruits, especially lychees and it goes well with Thai and Indian dishes. The alcohol content is quite high, usually around 14%. Because the sweetness varies, the wine can range from 119 calories a glass to 165 calories if the wine is both sweet and has a very high alcohol count.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is zesty, crisp, and refreshing. It has flavors of green apple, honeysuckle, citrus, honey, and pear and pairs well with delicate cheeses as well as such meats as lamb and veal. It has an ABV of between 9% and 13% and low sugar. There are approximately 122 calories in a glass of Pinot Grigio.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Moscato
Moscato is a dessert wine. It is luscious and rich and well known for its signature sweetness and fruity flavors such as peach and nectarine. It goes well with food that has opposite flavors such as salty, sour, and spicy. While it is sweet, it doesn’t have a high alcohol content. It is usually only between 5% and 10%, making it lower in calories than you would think. A glass of Moscato has on average, 122 calories.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Prosecco
Prosecco is a sparkling white wine that is lovely drunk before or after a meal. It also pairs with snacks, spicy food, strawberries, and even desserts. It is your best choice if you are looking for a low-calorie white wine. It is both low in sugar and in alcohol. The ABV is usually around 11%. A glass of Prosecco only has around 80 calories in a glass, so you don’t have to worry about having an extra glass even if you are watching your weight.
The Calorie Count of a Glass of Champagne
Champagne is another sparkling white wine that is even more celebratory than Prosecco. It is low in sugar with an average ABV of 12% which makes it higher in calories than Prosecco but still low compared to many white wines. It has, on average, 100 calories in a 5 oz glass.
Table of the Calorie Count of Different Wines
To better see the difference in the calorie counts between the wines we have mentioned, we have made a chart below. This should help you to choose which wine best suits you best. As you can see, some Gewurztraminers are the highest in calories, while Prosecco is the lowest.
Wine Glass Bottle
Chardonnay 120 600
Sauvignon Blanc 119 595
Riesling 120 600
Gewurztraminer 119 – 165 595 – 825
Pinot Grigio 122 610
Moscato 122 610
Prosecco 80 400
Champagne 100 500
As you can see from this chart, white wines are reasonably low in calories so if you are on a weight-loss plan, it shouldn’t be too difficult to add a glass or two to your daily diet.
The Calorie Count Of Other Drinks
Let’s now take a look at some other drinks so that we can compare their average calorie count with white wine. Cola and milk are in larger serving sizes as they wouldn’t be served in 5 oz portions.
Drink Calories
Whole Milk 138 (8 oz)
Skimmed Milk 79 (8 oz)
Cola with Sugar 139 (12 oz)
Cola without Sugar 0 (12noz)
Red Wine 125 (5 oz)
Rose Wine 104 (5 oz)
White Wine 120 (5 oz)
Prosecco 80 (5 oz)
As can be seen, white wine fares well. The only competition is from skimmed milk and diet sodas, but the chances are that you won’t want to have either if you go to a bar or restaurant unless you are driving A glass of white wine is much more decadent on a night out. Save the skimmed milk for your cereal or coffee. When it comes to a white wine with minimum calories, you won’t go far wrong with Prosecco which only has 80 calories in a glass. Perhaps it isn’t just for special occasions!
Conclusion
As can be seen from this article, white wine is an excellent choice of alcoholic beverage if you are watching your waistline but still want to indulge in something special. On average, a glass of wine has 120 calories in a 5 oz measure but there can be less and sometimes, a little more. If you are thinking of buying a new bottle of wine that you haven’t tried before, it is always a good idea to investigate the sugar and alcohol content of that particular wine. The ABV is always on the label of the bottle but you may have to look up the sugar content on the web. Low-sugar and low-alcohol wines are usually the lowest in calories.