How Many Calories are in a Glass of Wine? Learn Calorie Counts Per Glass for Red and White Wines

How many calories are in a glass of wine? Calorie counts given here are based on the assumption of a serving being a four-ounce glass, and different counts are given for dry or sweet wines. Are you not sure how much four ounces is? If counting calories is an important part of your diet plan, use a one-half cup measure; four ounces is equivalent to one-half cup.

Why Worry About Calories?

Why should anyone care how many calories are in a glass of wine? According to the University of Rochester, “Simply put, alcohol reduces the amount of fat the body burns for energy,” and “Coupled with the high caloric value of alcohol, the resulting effect is that body is forced to store an excessive amount of unburned fat calories, often in the form of a beer belly.”

What does all that mean in simple English? The more alcohol one drinks, the less body fat is burned. This is bad news for anyone trying to eliminate belly fat.

Calorie per Gram Comparisons

In addition to understanding the caloric impact of wine, consider the make-up of alcohol calories. Gram for gram, alcohol calories provide almost as many calories as fat. Here is a comparison of calories per gram for some typical foods:

• Protein – 4 calories per gram
• Carbohydrates – 4 calories per gram
• Alcohol – 7 calories per gram
• Fat – 9 calories per gram

The other component in figuring the caloric count of wine is the alcohol content. The higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie count. Dieters need to weigh both factors when deciding to include a glass of wine into meal plans.

Average Calories per Glass of Wine

Here is general information on the calories in various wines based on a four-ounce serving:

• Dry red wine – 83 calories
• Sweet red wine – 100 calories
• Dry white wine – 77 calories
• Sweet white wine – 103 calories
• Rose’ wine – 82 calories

Which wines have the lowest and highest calorie counts? For white wines, Pinot Grigio has an average of 100 calories, while dessert wines average 217. It is easy to see how a couple of glasses of a sweet dessert wine can wreck a diet in a hurry.

In the red wine family, rose’ is a good choice with only 82 calories per glass, but dieters should stay away from Martini Rosso. which has 192 calories for a tiny four-ounce portion.

Nutritional Take-Aways

Knowing the exact number of the calories in wine, and understanding how the body metabolizes those calories is wise. Whether dieting or just watching calories, weight loss is easier and faster when wine and other alcohol is limited or eliminated. There are certain health benefits gained from drinking wine, so measure those benefits against the high caloric values. If your eco-conscience is bothered by throwing away all those wine bottles, learn how to recycle them by reading “Crafts to Recycle Wine Bottles.”

References

University of Rochester, “Caloric Values of Alcoholic Beverages,” 12 March 2010, accessed April 8, 2010 Wine Nutrition Information. (various types).

Nutrition Data, “Foods - Wine”