Calories in White Wine and Nutrition Facts for White Wine Styles, Varieties


People are becoming more interested in the calorie content of the beverages they drink. But surprisingly, the calories and other macro-nutrients in wine arw seldom shown on the wine bottle labels. This may change in the near future with several countries adopting voluntary nutrition labels for wines.

The calories in white wine can vary depending on the variety, the alcohol content, and the amount of sugar and carbohydrates contained in the wines. Sweeter wines and ones with higher alcohol contents have more calories.

A standard drink of an alcoholic beverage contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (about 0.6 fluid oz or 1.2 tablespoons). However this varies between countries. Pure alcohol contains 7 cals/g, which is about twice the calories in one gram of protein or carbohydrate (4 cals/g).

However the calories in alcohol is less than half the calories in fat (9 cals/g). A standard drink in some countries contains 14 g of pure alcohol, and so contains about 100 calories due to the alcohol itself. The other ingredients in the drink will add to these calories.

There are about 10 grams (12 ml) of alcohol in an average glass of wine which contains about 65-80 calories. The rest of the calories in wines are mostly in the carbohydrates and sugar ieft when ther wine is processed or added for flavor.

White wine contains slightly less calories than red wine because there is less residual sugar. Red wine contains about 69 Calories (283 kilojoules) per 100 ml compared with 65 calories (270 kilojoules) for a medium-dry white wine.

Fortified wines such as ports contain the most calories at 160 calories for 100ml serve.

There is considerable variation in the amount number of calories in different styles and varieties of white wine, especially related to their sweetness and alcohol content.

This article discusses these differences and includes a wine calorie chart that will help you choose wines based on calories.

Comparison of calories in white wine with calories in various other drinks
Comparison of calories in white wine with calories in various other drinks. Source: Public Domain

Why Does the Number of Calories in Wine Differ?

There are about 65 calories in 100ml of grape juice and about the same amount on white wine. Consequently the conversion of a large proportion of the sugars in the wine into alcohol does not change things very much.

The yeast added to the grape juice generates alcohol as a waste product of its metabolism.

The variation in calorie content for the same volume of wine is primarily due to the residual sugar and carbohydrate left in the wine after it has fermented.

Similarly, some wines have highly percentages of alcohol and this adds to the calories.

The table below summaries the calories in a standard serving of 100ml.

It also includes calories for common foods as a comparison.

The key points are:

Is the Calories in Wine Related to the Amount of Sugar or Carbohydrate It Contains

The amount of carbohydrate in wines is not necessarily a sign of the calories in the wine because the alcohol contents vary so much.

Dessert wines have about 17g of carbs per 100 ml, and the high carbs doubles the number of calories.

However, Riesling, Vigonier and Chardonnay all have 120 calories, but they have 5g, 1g and 2g of carbohydrate respectively.

How Does the Calories in Wine Compare with the Calories in Typical Foods?

For comparisons purpose the following summary compares shows the calorie equivalents of common foods:

The following snacks are all equivalent to about 3 glasses of White Wine

One McDonald's Burger is equivalent to the number of calories in One Bottle of Wine


How do the Calories in White Wine Compare with The Calories in Other Alcohol Based Beverages

The table below shows that wine is one of the lowest beverage in terms of calories

Calories in Various Alcoholic Beverages

Type of Beverage
Average Serving
Calories
Vodka with soda (40%)
30ml spirit plus 150ml soda
64
White wine (11.5%)
150ml
100
Sparkling wine (11.5%)
150ml
100
Red wine (13.5%)
150ml
110
Full-strength beer (4.8%)
425ml
155
Gin and tonic (4.5%)
30ml spirit plus 250 ml tonic
200
Rum and cola (4.6%)
375ml can
248
Premix gin and tonic (4.5%)
375 ml can
320
Pina Colada (13%)
150ml
400

Calories for 100 g (100 ml) Serving of White Wines, with Spirits and Foods for Comparison

Popular Types of White Wine Serving 100g 1 glass
Calories
Wine, Non-alcoholic Wine
10
Lambrini Bianco M/Dry
55
Light alcohol dry White wine
65
White Wine - Dry
66
Rose Wine
71
Light alcohol sweet White wine
71
Rose
73
Dry White
74
White Wine - Medium
74
White Wine - Sparkling
74
Pinot Grigio
75
Champagne - Dry
76
Chenin Blanc
78
Riesling
78
Gewurztraminer
79
Sauvignon Blanc
79
White Wine
81
Semillon
81
Riesling
81
Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio
82
Sauvignon Blanc Wine
82
Muscat
82
Sauvignon Blanc
83
White Table Wine
83
Medium White
85
White Zinfandel
85
Champagne
86
Brut Champagne
86
Sparkling Wine
89
Port
90
High alcohol dry White wine
90
Riesling
90
Chardonnay
90
Doux Champagne
90
Gewurztraminer
90
Vigonier
90
Champagne
93
Chardonnay
95
Riesling, chardonnay
95
Martini Extra Dry
96
Sauternes
100
High alcohol dry Red wine
102
Vermouth, Dry
108
High alcohol sweet White wine
113
Sweet white
113
Sweet Dessert Wine
124
Martini Bianco
145
Dry sherry
150
Vermouth, Sweet
152
Sake wine
160
Port
160
Dessert wine
163
Sweet Dessert Wine
165
Mulled wine
200
FOODS for Comparison
 
Spirits - Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey
220
1 Chokito bar (60g)
275
1 Cadbury Dream bar (50g)
280
Chocolate Fruit and Nut bar (55g)
280
Apple crumble (200g)
280
Apple pie (100g)
285
1 McDonald's strawberry sundae
280
Subway six-inch ham, roast beef sub
282
1 Bottle of wine
560
1 McDonald's Burger
566

Related Articles on Wine and Pairing with Food

=> Calories in Red Wine, Nutrition Facts for Red Wine Varieties and Styles

=> Wine Making Ingredients and Additives Not Revealed on Labels

=> Wine Terroir Tantalises Wine Lovers Taste Buds

=> Wine Pairing Methods - Charts for Matching and Pairing Wine with Food

=> Match Food and Wine - Handy Matching Charts for Perfect Food and Wine Pairs

=> Wine Pairing Mexican Food - Best Wines for Mexican Dishes, Sauces

=> Diet Wines and Low Alcohol Wines - Now Taste Much Better

=> Wine Corks are Going The Screwcaps are Winning!

=> Wine Grape Family Tree Shows Huge Untapped Potential for Cross-Breeding

=> Which Wines are Worth Cellaring and Aging Before Drinking

=> Choosing Wines - Tips for Beginners





White wines generally have lower alcohol than red wines
White wines generally have lower alcohol than red wines. Source: Public Domain
Comparison of Calories in various types of WHITE wine
Summary graph of the calories in WHITE wine. Source: Public Domain
Comparison of Calories in various types of RED wine
Comparison of Calories in various types of RED wine. Source: Public Domain
Summary graph of the calories in red wine
Summary graph of the calories in red wine. Source: Public Domain
Summary of calories in various types of wines
Summary of calories in various types of wines. Source: Public Domain
See how much sugar is in various drinks. Learn more about calories in drinks such as red wine in this article
See how much sugar is in various drinks. Learn more about calories in drinks such as red wine in this article. Source: Public Domain
Comparison of calories in various types of drinks.
Comparison of calories in various types of drinks. Source: Public Domain
Comparison of calories in various types of wine for small and large glasses.
Comparison of calories in various types of wine for small and large glasses. Source: Public Domain