Skip to main content

How Many Carbs Are Found in Wine?

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

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.

How Many Carbs Are in Wine?

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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?

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

Editors' Recommendations

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…
Costco has a secret online store, Costco Next, that any member can access – here’s how
It's just like Costco, only premium - and there are no hot dogs
Ft. Wayne - Circa August 2017: Costco Wholesale Location. Costco Wholesale is a Multi-Billion Dollar Global Retailer X

 

Whether you have a bunch of kids and need that Costco membership for the snacks or are entering your middle-age era and have started shopping for your jeans there, Costco membership holders are die-hard people. There are whole Reddit pages dedicated to how to best shop at the store and plenty of TikToks showing how to maximize Costco hauls. Plus, where else do you get a hot dog and a drink for $1.50 these days? But we all know that staying home and ordering online from your favorite store is where it's at, so get ready to be blown away by how to access Costco Next, Costco's best-hidden feature.

Read more
How to order wine, according to a seasoned pro
Need a little more confidence when it comes to ordering wine? We've got some pro tips to share.
White wine

When a wine list the size of an encyclopedia is dropped on your table, it's easy to be intimidated. Ordering wine should be an enjoyable adventure, not a daunting task. To make sure of that, we reached out to an industry pro for some sage advice.

Our wine expert revealed some great tips for navigating wine lists, ordering something you'll actually like, and not breaking the bank in the process. Next time you're at a restaurant or wandering through a bottle shop, you'll know just what to do. Better, you may even discover a new favorite winemaker or varietal. Read on for excellent tips on how to order wine.

Read more
Wine tasting etiquette: How to look like you know what you’re doing
Spitting, tipping, pressure to buy: All the things you've always wanted to ask about wine tasting and haven't
how to hold a wine glass what is the proper way

Wine tasting is an incredibly fun and educational way to spend a vacation, extended weekend, or even just a breezy, casual afternoon. Learning the ins and outs of ancient wine-making practices and methods, differences in varietals, flavor profiles, bouquets, and aromas are all valuable lessons in the world of wine education. And let's be honest, walking around some gorgeous scenery and sipping on every millennial's favorite beverage is a pretty fabulous way to spend your time.
But wine tasting is so much more than tipsily stumbling about pretty vineyards tossing around words like "demi-sec" and "assemblage." There's a real art to be found in good wine, and being able to see and taste it is something truly beautiful. But just as walking into the Louvre and trying to analyze the world's most renowned paintings can be a little bit intimidating, so is knowing how to taste and dissect a glass of wine. For this reason, many people are too intimidated to ask some of the more awkward questions or know exactly how to act during a wine tasting. We're here to help.

How much do wine tastings cost?

Read more