Lowest calorie wine
Most of a dry wine's calories are its alcohol. Carbohydrate adds only 3 to 6 grams to a 5oz glass when the wine is dry, so the lowest-calorie wines are simply the lowest in alcohol, and the highest are the strong and the sweet.
Riesling (112), Pinot Grigio (114), Sauvignon Blanc (118) calories per 5oz glass are the lowest here, with Merlot highest at 125. Alcohol decides the order: Riesling leads at 11% ABV. A 750ml bottle holds about five glasses, so a bottle runs from 568 to 634 calories. White averages 117 a glass and red 123, almost entirely down to alcohol.
All 7 wines, lowest calories first
- 1 Riesling 11% · 5oz glass · 5.5g carbs · 568 per bottle 112 123
- 2 Pinot Grigio 12.5% · 5oz glass · 3g carbs · 578 per bottle 114 109
- 3 Sauvignon Blanc 13% · 5oz glass · 3g carbs · 598 per bottle 118 109
- 4 Pinot Noir 13% · 5oz glass · 3.4g carbs · 609 per bottle 120 111
- 5 Chardonnay 13.5% · 5oz glass · 3.2g carbs · 624 per bottle 123 109
- 6 Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5% · 5oz glass · 3.8g carbs · 634 per bottle 125 111
- 7 Merlot 13.5% · 5oz glass · 3.7g carbs · 634 per bottle 125 111
Calories per serving use a standard pour: 1.5oz for spirits and liqueurs, 12oz for beer and cans. Per standard drink scales each one to 14g of alcohol, the US standard drink, so a shot and a beer can be compared directly. Drinks whose producers publish no sugar or carbohydrate figure are not ranked.
FAQ
What wine has the lowest calories? ▾
Riesling (112), Pinot Grigio (114), Sauvignon Blanc (118) calories per 5oz glass are the lowest here, with Merlot highest at 125. Alcohol decides the order: Riesling leads at 11% ABV. A 750ml bottle holds about five glasses, so a bottle runs from 568 to 634 calories. White averages 117 a glass and red 123, almost entirely down to alcohol.
How many calories are in a glass of wine? ▾
Between 112 and 125 in a 5oz glass of the dry varietals here. About 80% of that is alcohol; the rest is 3 to 6 grams of carbohydrate. A larger 6 or 9oz restaurant pour scales up from there.
How many calories are in a bottle of wine? ▾
About 568 to 634 for a 750ml bottle of the dry wines here, which is a little over five 5oz glasses. A sweet dessert wine or a high-alcohol Zinfandel runs higher.
Which wine has the fewest carbs? ▾
Pinot Grigio (3g), Sauvignon Blanc (3g), Chardonnay (3.2g) per 5oz glass, from USDA FoodData Central. Riesling carries 5.5g, the most among the varietals ranked here, because it is often made off-dry.
What about Prosecco and Champagne? ▾
Sparkling wine is not ranked yet, because its sugar depends on the style printed on the label: Brut is under 12 grams per litre, Extra Dry 12 to 17, Demi-sec 32 to 50. The sparkling wine page explains the scale.