How Many Calories Are in a Glass of Wine?

Any dieter is usually faced with the unappealing prospect of cutting out alcoholic beverages. Wine, however, is far more waist-friendly than most other drink options like carb-heavy beer or sugary cocktails. Plus, a glass a day has been shown to be good for your health. For the calorie conscious, here is a breakdown of what you should know about popular varieties.

Red Wine

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An average glass of red wine has about 135 to 165 calories, but the nutritional information is largely dependent on the alcohol content. A full-bodied Syrah or Pinot Noir with 13.5 percent alcohol can easily reach 200 calories per glass. Even though wine bottles don’t reveal the nutritional facts, the alcohol content can be a pretty good guide.

White Wine

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White wine often contains a little bit more sugar than a red, but calorically, the two are fairly similar since most whites have less alcohol. Overall, a white wine usually contains 140 calories or less per six ounce serving. Riesling and Pinot Grigio are lighter and have even fewer calories, containing about 120 calories per glass. Moscato, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc can be more caloric because they usually have a higher alcohol content. To cut calories even further, mix a white with zero calorie club soda or sparkling water.

Sparkling Wine

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Sparkling wine often contains less calories than either reds or whites: surprising considering it is typically paired with dessert. To cut down the calories even further, go with a Brut, which means the sparkling wine has little to no sugar: Bruts often have a little less than 100 calories per glass. Demi-sec and doux sparkling wines are much sweeter, and have significantly more calories, as do most sweet dessert wines like sherry.