How many calories in 1 glass of white wine

You’d never know this from looking at your typical bottle of wine, but the answer is simple: For most dry table wines that hover somewhere between 11 and 14 percent alcohol by volume, a 5-ounce glass will contain about 120 to 130 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Most wine labels tell you the alcohol content and little else. But two recent measures aim to make nutritional information more widely available to drinkers. In 2013, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) ruled that alcohol producers could voluntarily print a “Serving Facts” label on their bottles, similar to what you see on packaged food products in the grocery store—though it’s still unclear whether many producers will opt in.

Meanwhile, starting in December 2015, chain restaurants will be required to disclose calorie information for alcohol, as well as for food, on their menus.

What would a nutrition label look like for an average bottle of dry table wine?

How many calories in 1 glass of white wine

Here's a sample label based on data from the U.S.D.A.

Where do wine’s calories come from?

One key source of calories is alcohol, which contains 7 calories per gram. So a glass of Zinfandel at 15 percent alcohol by volume will likely contain a few more calories than a glass of Albariño at 11 percent alcohol by volume.

Also contributing to the calorie count are carbohydrates—including sugar—which bring 4 calories per gram. A typical dry wine may have around 4 grams of carbs per pour, whereas the same serving of a sweet dessert wine can deliver about 20 grams of carbs.

Remember, these figures apply to 5-ounce glasses of wine—which, a 2013 study found, many drinkers fail to gauge accurately. You may be pouring more calories than you realize.

What about low-calorie wines, like Skinnygirl?

If Skinnygirl wines are low-calorie, then most wines are low-calorie. One serving of any of Skinnygirl’s offerings—whether Pinot Noir, Moscato or Prosecco—boasts 100 calories, a marginal 20 to 30 fewer calories than in any other dry table wine. That difference is equivalent to about two stalks of celery.

Skinnygirl wines clock in at a relatively normal 12 percent ABV, but other so-called diet wines are much lower in alcohol than many wine lovers expect when they’re imbibing: The Skinny Vine, at 95 calories per glass, offers wines as low as 7.3 percent ABV; Weight Watchers wines, with 89 calories per glass, stand around 8.5 percent ABV.

Are wine’s calories “empty calories”?

Wine by itself may not make a meal, but calorie counts don’t tell the full story of wine’s nutritional value. Although the jury’s still out, drinking wine—especially red wine—in moderation has been linked to a range of positive health outcomes, potentially including weight loss.

Studies from researchers in Spain and Boston have observed lower weight gains among moderate drinkers than among nondrinkers. Other scientists have found that people consume fewer calories overall when drinking wine. These results, of course, may be influenced by confounding lifestyle factors: It’s possible that wine drinkers as a group tend to make healthier lifestyle choices than nondrinkers, not that wine itself takes off the pounds.

Still, other research has found evidence that red-wine polyphenols might prevent fatty foods from being converted to fatty tissue, and that red wine could keep glucose from entering fat cells. We still can’t be completely sure of wine’s effects on weight gain—more research is needed.

As a wine lover, you're no stranger to the pleasure of sipping on a lovely glass of red, white, or rosé. But what you might not be so acquainted with is how many calories are swirling in your glass of wine. Not that you could be blamed for not knowing. After all, it's rather challenging to know these details when there are no nutrition fact labels on a bottle of wine as there are with almost any other food or drink. So, how many calories in a glass of wine? We'll answer that question and more, plus give you the calorie count for different types of wine. 

Understanding Calories in Wine

Before we get into how many calories in a glass of wine, let's quickly review where wine calories come from in the first place. 

Once the wine grapes are harvested from the vineyard and crushed into juice, they all undergo a fermentation process. This process is when yeast eats the sugar in the grape juice and converts it into alcohol. The amount of sugar that’s converted depends on the winemaker and the type of wine they're making. If fermentation is halted before all the alcohol is converted into sugar, there will be more leftover sugar (aka residual sugar), resulting in a sweeter wine. If there's less residual sugar or none at all, the result is a dry wine

As you probably already know thanks to all the low carb info out there, sugar is a carbohydrate. As such, the amount of carbs in any particular wine depends on the amount of residual sugar it has. In wine, these carbs translate to about 4 calories per gram. Alcohol is the other piece of the puzzle that contributes to the number of calories in a glass of wine. It contains about 7 calories per gram. 

With this information in mind, you can get an overall sense of which wines will have a higher or lower calorie count. Dry, low-alcohol wines will have fewer calories than sweeter, higher-alcohol wines. For instance, a glass of Pinot Grigio at 12.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) will likely have fewer calories than a glass of Zinfandel at 15% ABV

When looking at the label on a bottle of wine, take note of the ABV:

  • Low-alcohol wine: Less than 12.5% ABV
  • Moderate-alcohol wine: 12.5-14% ABV
  • High-alcohol wines: 14.5% ABV or above

It's worth noting that some vintners add sugar to their wine before or during fermentation. Known as chaptalization, it's a bit of a controversial practice and is even illegal in a number of regions, including California, Italy, Australia, Spain, Greece, Portugal, and South Africa among others. Ironically, this process doesn't aim to sweeten the wine but to increase its alcohol content. Unless a winemaker is transparent about its practices, you won't know if chaptalization is part of their process.

Here at Usual Wines, we keep things clean and simple. Our wines are made with traditional winemaking techniques. No added sugars, no chemicals, no additives — just small-batch, sustainably farmed grapes so you can enjoy a clean, refreshing glass of wine every time.

The bottom line: Sugar content and alcohol content impact the overall calorie content of wine, so pay attention to those factors. For even more details, check out our complete guide to calories in wine and how to understand alcohol content in wine.

How Many Calories in a Glass of Wine?

How many calories in 1 glass of white wine

As you might have surmised at this point, there is no single answer to the question, "How many calories in a glass of wine?" It all depends on what type of wine you're talking about. It also depends on how large the glass of wine is. That said, there is a baseline when it comes to serving size for wine. 

The standard glass of wine in the United States is 5 ounces (147 grams) with 12% alcohol by volume (ABV). By this measurement, your average glass of wine has somewhere between 100 and 160 calories, according to the USDA.

If you're trying to cut down on extra calories, be it for weight loss or other health reasons, keep these tips in mind:

  • Dry white wine with a lower ABV is generally the best option when you're trying to keep a lower calorie count
  • Stay away from sweet dessert wines, which tend to have more sugar and the highest number of calories
  • If you feel like red wine, opt for Merlot, which has a lower calorie count than most other reds

Calories in a Glass of Red Wine

While these figures aren't set in stone, you can use them as a general guideline when it comes to the calories in red wine. Again, this is for your standard 5-ounce glass of wine per the USDA:

  • Barbera: 125 calories
  • Cabernet Sauvignon: 122 calories 
  • Carignan: 109 calories
  • Gamay: 115 calories
  • Grenache: 122 calories
  • Malbec: 135 calories
  • Merlot: 120 calories
  • Pinot Noir: 121 calories
  • Sangiovese: 126 calories
  • Syrah: 122 calories
  • Zinfandel: 129 calories

Calories in a Glass of White Wine 

Dry, white wines tend to be the best options for low-calorie wines. Here are the approximate caloric values for these pale sippers set by the USDA:

  • Champagne: 124 calories (Brut Zero, the driest) to 175 calories (Doux, the sweetest)
  • Chardonnay: 120 calories
  • Gewürztraminer: 119 calories (164 calories for late-harvest, which has more residual sugar)
  • Moscato: 122 calories
  • Pinot Grigio: 122 calories
  • Prosecco: 90 calories
  • Riesling: 118 calories (calorie count will be higher for late-harvest)
  • Sauvignon Blanc: 119 calories

Is a Glass of Wine Worth the Calories?

How many calories in 1 glass of white wine

You'll never hear us say drinking a glass of wine is a bad idea, and it seems we're not the only ones. Researchers have long been studying the potential health benefits of wine, particularly red wine, and the news is promising. 

For instance, there is some scientific evidence that the polyphenols in red wineresveratrol is arguably the most famous of the bunch — have antioxidant properties that can lower the risk for coronary heart disease. What's more, other studies show that resveratrol is linked to weight loss. While these findings are certainly no excuse to go out and start guzzling down glasses of vino like there's no tomorrow, you also don't have to deny yourself the pleasure of sipping your favorite red, white, or rosé. It's all about moderation.

As it turns out, Usual Wines is the perfect way to enjoy delicious wine without worrying about soaring calorie counts. Here's a quick breakdown of each 5-ounce serving size for these top sellers:

  • Usual Brut Sparkling Wine: 110 calories, 12% ABV, 0 added sugars
  • Usual Rosé: 120 calories, 13.5% ABV, 0 added sugars
  • Usual Brut Rosé: 100 calories, 12% ABV, 0 added sugars
  • Usual Spritz: 83 calories, 8.5% ABV, 3 grams total sugar

Wine Isn't Just Empty Calories

From the food we eat to the wine we drink, we all know how important it is to be mindful about what we put into our bodies — and that includes keeping track of how many calories we consume. When asking about how many calories in a glass of wine, there isn't just one answer. It's roughly 100-160 calories per 5-ounce serving, but it depends on the varietal, the sugar content, and the alcohol content

Sweet wines with more residual sugar and higher alcohol levels will have more calories. Conversely, dry white wines with lower alcohol levels tend to have fewer calories. Most wine labels don't have nutrition facts, so it's up to you to pay attention, do the math, and research the winemaker to learn more about their winemaking practices. 

Here at Usual Wines, we proudly produce wine the Old-World, natural way with minimal processing and only clean, simple ingredients. For more ways to make the most of your wine drinking experience, browse through our

Is white wine better for weight loss?

White wine and rosé have fewer calories than red wines. If you're watching your calorie intake, avoid dessert wines like Port, Sauternes, and fully sweet Rieslings. Typically speaking, the higher the alcohol by volume (ABV), the more calories there will be in your wine.

How many calories are in a large glass of white wine?

All alcohol – including the alcohol found in white wines like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or any other type - is made from natural starch and sugar. There are 131 calories in a typical 175ml glass of white wine3 – slightly more than you would find in a bag of ready salted crisps.

How many calories are in a 750mL glass of white wine?

Sorting out calories in a bottle of wine The truth of the matter is that there are, on average, 123 calories in a glass of wine. And seeing as a bottle typically holds 5 glasses, that makes each bottle of wine roughly 615 calories.

How many calories are in a glass of 250ml white wine?

There are 206 calories in 250 ml of White Table Wine.