Drink

How many calories are there in a glass of wine?

How to Drink Better: Sugar has four calories per gramme, alcohol seven, and then there’s the size of your glass

If you are looking for a lower calorie wine, look for one with less alcohol in it. Photograph: iStock

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John Wilson
Sun Jun 25 2023 - 05:00
How many calories are there in a glass of wine?

The calorie count in your glass of wine (and all other alcoholic drinks) depends on three things. Firstly, the amount of alcohol, which in wine comes from fermenting the sugars present in grapes. This is the biggest single contributor to calories in wine. Secondly, from any residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation. Most wines are dry, or off-dry, although there is a growing trend towards medium-dry red and white wines. This would include those red appassimento wines.

And finally, the size of your glass. Many studies have shown that consumers underestimate the amount of wine they pour into their glass, so you are probably ingesting more calories (and more alcohol) than you think. Sugar has four calories per gramme, alcohol seven. Most dry table wines are between 12 per cent and 15 per cent alcohol by volume. A bottle of completely dry lower alcohol wine will have fewer calories.

Typically, a bottle of Bordeaux might have about 720 calories, while a bottle of powerful Aussie Shiraz, Californian Zinfandel, Malbec from Argentina, or an Amarone, could be as high as 850 calories and more. A bottle of Port, a sweet, fortified wine, can have up to 1,450 calories, but serving sizes are far smaller.

Breaking that down, a 150ml glass of wine at 13 per cent alcohol will have 130-140 calories, while a larger 175ml glass with 15 per cent alcohol will have 175 calories. A standard glass of wine, which equals a unit, is 100ml, so a large glass of wine may actually equal two units of alcohol. Sweet wines may have an extra 20g of sugar per glass.

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Rising global temperatures mean that grapes are being picked with higher levels of sugar, resulting in wine with an increased amount of alcohol. Ten years ago, most wines from Bordeaux and Beaujolais were 12.5-13 per cent. These days, many are 14-14.5 per cent alcohol, which means increased calories too. So, sadly, wine and other alcoholic drinks are not very diet-friendly, especially as they tend to make you hungry, and more liable to crave a few snacks as well.

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