Wines With The Fewest Calories - A List from Lowest to Highest

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Wines With The Fewest Calories - A List from Lowest to Highest

For those trying to manage their weight, knowing the calorie content of different wines can be useful.

The number of calories a wine contains is dependent on the alcohol and sugar content. Generally, the higher the alcohol, the higher the calories. This is because alcohol provides 7 calories per gram, compared to carbs and protein, which only provide 4 calories per gram. If a wine is low in alcohol but high in calories, then it is likely to be a sweet wine, high in sugar.

A 5oz glass of wine typically contains between 109-130 calories. A simple trick to find approximately how many calories 5oz of wine contains is to take the percent alcohol and multiply it by 12. Thus, a wine that is 10% alcohol by volume (ABV) will contain about 120 calories per 5oz (150ml) glass. Most adults however, typically consume at least 10oz of wine at a sitting, so double this.

Below is a ranking of wines from lowest to highest. Non-alcoholic wine is easily the lowest in calories, providing just 9 calories in a glass. A light wine at 6.5% ABV provides 73 calories per glass. After that, most wines provide 109-120 calories in a 5oz glass or 220-240 calories in a 10oz serving. Sweet dessert wines tend to have a higher alcohol and sugar content and can pack as many as 236 calories in a single 5oz glass. That is 12% of the total calories you should consume in one day!

A Ranking of Wines by Calories From Lowest to Highest

WineCalories
Per 5oz Glass
Percent Alcohol
(%ABV)
#1 Non-Alcoholic Wine9 calories
(0% DV)
0%
#2 Light (Low-Alcohol) Wine73 calories
(4% DV)
6%
#3 Carignane109 calories
(5% DV)
9%
#4 Muller Thurgau (White)112 calories
(6% DV)
9%
#5 Gamay115 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#6 Lemberger (Red)118 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#7 Chenin Blanc (Wine)118 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#8 Riesling (White)118 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#9 Gewurztraminer (White)119 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#10 Pinot Blanc (White)119 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#11 Sauvignon (White)119 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#12 Fume Blanc (White)121 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#13 Pinot Noir (Red)121 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#14 Semillon (White)121 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#15 Cabernet Franc (Red)122 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#16 Cabernet Sauvignon (Red)122 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#17 Claret (Red)122 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#18 Merlot (Red)122 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#19 Pinot Gris (Grigio) (White)122 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#20 Syrah (Red)122 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#21 Average Table Wine123 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#22 Muscat (White)123 calories
(6% DV)
9%
#23 Chardonnay (White)123 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#24 Barbera (Red)125 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#25 Petite Sirah (Red)125 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#26 Rose126 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#27 Sangiovese (Red)126 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#28 Burgundy (Red)127 calories
(6% DV)
10%
#29 Mouvedre (Red)129 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#30 Zinfandel (Red)129 calories
(6% DV)
11%
#31 Dry Dessert Wine224 calories
(11% DV)
15%
#32 Sweet Dessert Wine236 calories
(12% DV)
15%

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and accounts for absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and is the target on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5 percent) healthy individuals and is specific to age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, and is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

    Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily meal planner.

View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

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