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How Many Carbs Are Found in Wine?

Steven Johnson
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If you’re counting carbs it doesn’t mean you have to cut out wine, at least not altogether. If you are strictly monitoring your carb intake; however, you should pay attention to the type of wine you’re consuming. Most wines don’t typically list out the number of carbs per serving, only the alcohol content. So, understanding the “general carb content” of each style of wine is the best way to go.

The best wine is naturally very low in carbohydrates when compared to many other foods, especially those made from sweet and semi-sweet fruits such as grapes. The thing is, not all wines are equal when it comes to the levels of carbohydrates and residual sugars that they contain. If it’s important to you to find low-carb wine, there are a large number of products available on the market.

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In fact, there are many wines available that do not contain any carbs at all. In general, the less sweet tasting a glass of wine is, the fewer carbohydrates it contains. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about the carb content of wine so you can make healthy choices that support your lifestyle.

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How Many Carbs Are in Wine?

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A single 5-ounce glass of dry wine contains between 0-4 grams of net carbs per serving.

Generally, wine is considered one of the lowest carbohydrates-containing alcoholic beverages. Wines that are considered dry contain the least carbs of all wine varieties regardless of whether they are red, white, or pink.

Dry red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Shiraz or Syrah, Merlot, and Zinfandel are very likely to be close to 0 carbs.

The same can be said of dry white varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Albariños, and Grüner Veltliners.

Sweet wine varieties like Port, Moscato, and Ice wine contain up to 20 grams of residual sugar per 5 glasses. These noticeably sweet tasting wines still only contain up to about 10 grams of net carbs per serving.

Differences in production quality can vary greatly from wine to wine, however. Carbs in red wine, white wine, and rose wine can vary greatly from product to product depending on production techniques used. It’s important to choose higher quality wines to avoid drinking excess sugars that are a result of less-than-ideal production and storage techniques.

Are There Keto Wines Available?

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There are wines available that will work well with keto and other low-carb diets. Low-carb wines tend to be drier. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay are some very popular wine varieties that can be purchased with very low carbohydrate content.

Unfortunately, it can be challenging to be sure which specific wines fall into this category. Wine producers in most cases do not list the amount of residual sugar contained within their products. As a result, while many Merlots will be quite dry, there will undoubtedly be products available that contain higher amounts of residual sugar. This is the biggest reason why we recommend choosing higher-quality wines if issues like this are important to you.

When in doubt, feel free to contact a wine shop or producer to ask about the sugar content of their products. Sometimes asking the right questions is a great way to get the consumer product information that you are seeking. Having all the information makes it much easier to make informed decisions about which products to purchase and what companies to support.

Just remember that as a general rule of thumb, wines that cost less than $10 a bottle are more likely to contain excess residual sugars. That is not to say every bottle over $10 is better. It’s always important to try to seek out better quality products when you are thinking about the health of you and your family.

Read more: Keto Diet Guide

Which Wines Contain the Most Antioxidants?

Wine is considered one of the world’s healthiest alcoholic beverages. In particular, the antioxidants in wine are being investigated for their ability to promote longevity by lowering inflammation around the body. Resveratrol is one particular compound found in wines that have been found to contribute to human health and wellness in several measurably profound ways.

Researchers conclude that while all wines contain antioxidant content, dry red wines are the type most likely to be loaded with these free-radical-fighting powerhouses. If you are looking for the absolute healthiest and most likely to be low-carb wine, be sure to stick to dry reds. When compared to other types of wine, dry reds are the most likely to contain low carbohydrate content and be loaded with antioxidants such as resveratrol.

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Steven Johnson
Steven Johnson
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven Johnson is a chef-turned-content strategist. He now helps companies attract and retain more customers through content…
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