How many calories does wine have?

It’s Friday night, it’s been a tough week, and you want to reward yourself by opening that bottle you bought from your trusted winemaker. You have a business lunch, and it’s likely you’ll ask the sommelier to open a special bottle for you. You’ve been thinking all week about that get-together for drinks, celebrating with great wines.

You find yourself in any of these situations… and perhaps another: warm weather is just around the corner, and because you want to watch your weight, you’re paying attention not only to what you eat but also to what you drink. Then the big question arises: Will I gain weight if I drink those wines?

Let us give you the facts—it’s our responsibility.

How many calories does wine have? Every wine has its own caloric content…

When you drink wine—red, white, or rosé—you’re consuming the result of alcoholic fermentation, where yeasts transform sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process translates to an average of 78 calories per 100 ml (consider that a standard glass holds about 150 ml).

Many will be surprised to learn that this is more than double the calorie content of beer for the same amount. However, it’s important to remember that beer is often consumed faster and in larger quantities than wine.

Calories vary depending on the type of wine

The key factor is alcohol content, which varies between different wines. Not all wines have the same calorie count:

• Red wine: 120 to 180 calories per glass
• White or rosé wine: 110 to 170 calories per glass
• Dessert wines (higher sugar content): 190 to 290 calories per glass
• Wine-based cocktails (often containing fruit, which is rich in sugar)
• Sparkling wines (Cava, for example): 120 to 160 calories per glass

…Do you know how to calculate them?

To calculate the calories in wine, you can use this formula:

(Alcohol percentage) x (volume in ml) x 0.8 ÷ 100

Alternatively, you can use the general rule of seven kilocalories per gram of alcohol.

New wine labeling regulations—which came into effect on December 8, 2023—make it even easier. Simply check the label on the bottle. For example, Pradorey Rosado 2022 contains 85 calories per 100 ml.

So, does wine make you gain weight?

Not necessarily. But isn’t wine caloric? Yes, it is. So what’s the key?

Like any food—and wine is a food—it depends on what you do after consuming it.  If you engage in physical activity after drinking wine, those calories will be burned as energy, rather than stored as body fat.

Other factors influence calorie absorption, such as:

• Time of day – We absorb more calories at night than during the day.
• Drinking on an empty stomach – This leads to higher calorie absorption compared to drinking wine with food.
• Pairing wine with meals – The food you consume with wine also plays a role.

The real question isn’t just “how many calories does wine have?” but rather, “what do you do after drinking it?”

While the amount of wine you drink does matter, what you do afterward is equally important.

That Friday night glass of wine, the business lunch wine, or the aperitif with friends—when consumed in moderation and paired with a balanced diet—could actually help with weight management.

Why?

• Wine can regulate insulin secretion.
• It can increase energy expenditure (especially if followed by a short walk).

As with most things, the best advice is moderation.