Calories in Red Wine: Uncover the Number in Each Glass of Wine

People often ask me about the calories in red wine. This is a frequent question, since the calories in wine are not on the bottle. As of today, this is not a requirement for wine producers.

In the average glass of dry red wine, the calorie count is anywhere from 120 to 130 calories. This is for a 5-ounce glass of wine. This is the typical amount given to you when you order a glass or wine in a restaurant or a bar.

However, be cautious when you order a bottle of wine or serve wine at home. Most wine glasses average in size around 12 to 14 ounces. If you pour too much, the calories rack up quickly.

What do the calories in red wine come from? For dry red wine, most of the calories in the wine are from the alcohol. Wines with slightly less alcohol have fewer calories.

Here is a red wine calorie chart with information from the USDA National Nutrition Database. Each red wine calorie count is based on a 5-ounce glass of red wine.

Dessert red wines and sweet red wines have more calories. This is due to the increased amount of residual sugar in these red wine types.

The red wine calories in these types of wines are in the table below. Again, this information is from the USDA National Nutrition Database. Each red wine calorie count is for a 5-ounce glass of red wine.

Heavier, sweet red wines such as Port have even more calories. Although its red wine calorie count is not officially listed on the USDA's National Nutrition Database, I did find several sources that say a 5 ounce glass of Port can include up to around 200 calories.

Are There Fewer Calories in White Wine Than Red?

One question that also comes up is the difference between calories in red wine and those in white wine. The initial reaction is that white has fewer calories. Well, this is not always the case.

The most common white wine is Chardonnay. This white wine averages about 123 calories for a 5-ounce glass of wine. When you compare it to the chart above, you will see it is pretty close to the same as the amount of calories in red wine.

Most dry, white wine is around 118 to 125 calories, so just a little less than red wines. However, the calories in white wine skyrocket when you look at the sweet white wines. Sweeter wines have more residual sugar, so the calorie count in these wines is higher.

The highest calorie count I found was for late harvest white wines. They are a staggering 172 calories for a 5-ounce glass. This is almost 35 calories an ounce!

Tips to Manage Your Calories from Red Wine

The most important rule, as I mentioned above, is to watch the size of your glass. The average glass holds quite a bit more than the quoted 5 ounces and it is easy to pour twice that amount in just one glass.

Drink wines with a little less alcohol. This will reduce the overall number of calories you consume from the wine.

Another tip is to stay away from the sweeter wines. They contain almost 50 more calories for a 5-ounce glass or 10 more calories per ounce.

Overall, if you are just planning to drink a glass or two of wine, the calories in a dry, red wine are not significant. Moderation is the key to both enjoy your wine and keep the calorie count to a minimum.

Keep in mind that the calories in red wine above are approximate. The calorie count can increase or decrease based on the alcohol volume or the residual sugars in your specific wine.

Learn More About Red Wine & Health

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• Health Benefits of Drinking Wine: In addition to resveratrol, there are potentially other benefits of drinking red wine. What are they? Discover more information on the latest research of the health benefits of drinking wine.