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How Many Calories in Wine
What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.
Drink and your Diet
If you drink a couple of glasses of wine every evening
then starting a diet will need strong willpower, as most diets suggest
dropping alcohol if you want to see results. Alcohol is recognised as
containing 'empty' calories - not necessary for your body's nutrition
and likely to lead to weight gain.
Drinking wine can also weaken your willpower to stay on the straight
and narrow if you are on a restricted diet plan. After a couple of glasses
of wine your resolve can easily fade away, as you reach for high calorie
salty snacks like crisps and nuts. Never mind making a call to your
local takeaway seem like a good idea.
We all know how good fruit is for you, and it is used to make wine so
it figures that it must be good for you. Unfortunately, unlike fresh
fruit, alcoholic drinks are full of calories, due to the high sugar
and alcohol content. Each little gram of alcohol contains seven calories
which can soon mount up on a night out!
The good news is that red wine does contain flavonoids(mainly from the
grapeskins) - these act as powerful antioxidants, helping to reduce
the build up of fat in the arteries. The health benefits are only present
if you drink wine in moderation - 1-2 units a day, any more than that
and you start putting your health at risk.
How to reduce drinking wine
- Give up alcohol for a set time - a week , a month,
6 months - or until you've hit your target weight - as well as helping
your weight loss, it will also have benefits to your long-term health.
If this is not a realistic option - we are all human - the occasional
treat can help you sustain a diet. The main thing is to be aware of
any hidden calories in your drinks.
- Don't drink in the week - limit yourself to just
having your favourite glass of wine at the weekend. Warning - don't
try and pack in a week's worth of drinking in two days!
- Have at least two or three alcohol-free days a week.
You'll really enjoy and look forward to your treat of wine if you are
not having it every day.
- Set yourself a budget for wine every week and don't
stray from it. When you go out for an evening only take a limited amount
of money, and leave your card behind if you know your willpower will
let you down after a glass or two of wine and find yourself visiting
the nearest cashpoint.
- Alternate a glass of wine with water or low-calorie
soft drink, or try adding soda water to a glass of wine to make a long
refreshing spritzer - lots of ice too!
- Go for a small glass of wine (125ml) rather than
a large (250ml) glass and steer clear of special offers like 'buy two
large glasses and get the bottle of wine free' - a saving for your purse
but not your hips/bum/tum!
- If you are drinking wine at home always use a small glass
(125ml) and keep the bottle in the kitchen so you have to get up to
have another. This might give you enough time to decide not to have
a refill.
- Cut down the alcohol in drinks by swapping your usual
strength of wine for a lower strength. Some wines can have an ABV(Alcohol
by Volume) as high as 14% or 15%. Low-alcohol wines have ABVs of 9%
and lower.
- Don't use alcohol to quench your thirst - have water or a soft drink before drinking any alcohol.
Most wines and spirits have virtually no carbohydrate, but they contain more calories than fat so beware.
Calorie counter for different wine types
The calorie counter below will give you an idea of how fattening a drink might be. 125ml is the smaller size wine glass you get in bars and restaurants. These days, you're more likely to find a 250ml glass, so bear in mind that drink three of these and you've done the bottle! As well as precluding sensible conversation for the rest of the evening, it will account for a good chunk of your weekly recommended alcohol allowance and up to 700 empty calories that you could do without.
Keep the alcohol measures small and use lots of ice and low calorie mixers. Dry is better than sweet as more of the sugar is converted to alcohol.
Type of Wine |
Kcals |
Measure |
| How many calories in a small 125ml glass of wine? | ||
| How many calories in Dry white wine | 90 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Medium white wine | 95 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Sweet white wine | 120 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Champagne | 95 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Rose wine, medium | 90 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Red wine | 85-95 | 125ml |
| How many calories in sweet sherry | 70 | 50ml |
| How many calories in Cava (dry) | 95 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Cava (medium) | 100 | 125ml |
| How many calories in Cava (sweet) | 120 | 125ml |
How many calories in a bottle of wine? Calories in wine can vary according to strength, so for stronger wines you could be looking at 700 calories in a bottle of wine. |
700 | 750 ml |
What is the lowest calorie alcoholic drink?
If you're looking for the lowest calorie alcoholic drink
in absolute terms, it's vodka and any zero calorie mixer. But the difference
between vodka and other standard spirits is pretty minimal. Avoid alcopops
and shots - they are overflowing in sugar and very easy to knock back.
If you can't live without alcopops make your own lower calorie alcopop
by mixing a measure of vodka with a low calorie mixer.
There are low calorie wines - a small glass of low calorie wine can
range from 60 to 115 calories, which is less than your average glass
of wine. If you opt for a lower alcohol drink then the calories should
be lower.
How to Calculate the Number of Alcohol Units in Wine
This is an easy one - even for us maths-challenged types! Simply multiply the Size of the drink by the ABV (Alcohol by Volume) and then divide by 1000.
Example 1 - 250ml Glass of Chardonnay (13% ABV)
250 x 13 = 3,250
3250/1000 = 3.25 units of Alcohol - approx
160 Calories
Example 2 - 125ml Glass of Red Wine (12% ABV)
125 x 12 = 1500
1500/1000 = 1.5 units of Alcohol - approx
85 calories
Wine calories can add up fast if you're out for the night - cut down your alcohol intake by adding a low-calorie mixer or soda water for a change - it's healthier too.
Emma's
Diet Tip 
Try and eat a healthy meal before you drink. This will line your stomach and slow down the rate the alcohol enters into your bloodstream, so you'll be less likely to overdo it.
Work out the Calories in drinks
Find out how fattening your favourite tipple is. Is it better to miss out on the profiteroles or the second glass of wine?*
Use
this simple chart as a guide to find out how many calories there are in
drinks.
Keep in mind that measures at home tend to be a lot bigger than pub measures.
half pint = (284ml)
Alcohol calories by ounces
100ml = approx. 3.4 ounces
Alcohol and Health
The UK official recommendations are a maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week for women and 21 alcohol units a week for men.
It's important that you have a couple of alcohol-free days a week to allow your liver a rest and most medical authorities agree that drying out completely now and again for a couple of weeks to a couple of months will help your long-term health.
Keep an eye on your drinking with our chart and find out how many calories in a pint or bottle of your favourite tipple.
Fast Loans in the UK
Save 450 calories a day without suffering!
Find out how a simple change to your lifestyle can save you 450 calories a day without eating or drinking less.
Read how to keep a food diary
* lose the profiteroles, they are much heavier at 280 calories a serving than even a large 250ml glass of wine at 190-240 calories!
One in ten deaths caused by Alcohol - Daily Telegraph Article (opens in new window)
1 gram carb = 4 calories
1 gram protein = 4 calories
1 gram alcohol = 7 calories
1 gram fat = 9 calories
