Wine Nutrition Facts

Swirl, sip and enjoy - wine lovers relish every drop of wine. Prescribed by Hippocrates as a medicinal aid, disinfectant and diuretic, wine was used as a nutritional supplement as early as 450 B.C. Wine contains traces of vitamins and minerals and has substances that speed up digestion. Wine is considered one of the best alcoholic beverages from the nutritional point of view.

Wine contains fewer calories and carbohydrates when compared to other alcoholic beverages. The nutrition value of wine is not indicated on its bottle as the food and beverage regulators in many countries including the US do not insist on it. The nutritional value of each type of wine is different and varies from brand to brand.

Sweeter wines such as White Zinfandel, variants of Rieslings and wines with high alcohol content such as Chardonnay or Zinfandel are calorie rich when compared to normal wines. Red and white wine do not contain calories from fat. The flavonoids present in wine promote cardiovascular health. In spite of the above, wine has to be consumed in moderation to outweigh the risks of drinking.

Wine types

Red wine is made from red grapes e.g. Cabernet sauvignon.

White wine is made from white grapes e.g. Chardonnay. Red and white wine are low in calories but desert wine is high in calories as it has added sugar.

Calorie content of wine varieties

Red table wine: 75 calories per 3.5 fluid ounce serving and 12% alcohol

White table wine: 70 calories per 3.5 fluid ounce serving and 12% alcohol

Rose white wine: 70 calories per 3.5 fluid ounce serving and 12% alcohol

Rose wine: 75 calories per 3.5 fluid ounce serving and 12% alcohol

Dry vermouth wine: 65 calories per 2 fluid ounce serving and 17% alcohol

Sweet vermouth wine: 90 calories per 2 fluid ounce serving and 17% alcohol

Port wine: 90 calories per 2 fluid ounce serving and 19% alcohol

Red wine nutrition

Each bottle of wine has an average of 4-5 servings.

White wine nutrition

Each bottle of wine has an average of 4-5 servings.

Red and white wine health benefits

Wine is not suitable for all body types, check with your health care provider before you consume wine for health benefits. Red and white wine offer some health benefits:

• Red and white wine are rich in flavonoids (antioxidants). These antioxidants reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing lower low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol levels. They minimize blood clotting too.
  
  
• White wine is beneficial for the lungs
  
  
• Red wine has low sodium content and is loaded with vitamins and minerals
  
  
• The antioxidants like epicatechin, resveratrol and quercitin present in the skin of grapes (red and white) reduce the damage caused by the body's free radicals thus preventing degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease, aging etc.
  
  
• The antioxidant molecules present in white wine are smaller than the red wine molecules and so better absorbed by the body.
  
  
• Red wine is beneficial for women as it helps fight estrogen deficiency and thus fight diseases like breast cancer, osteoporosis, etc.
  

Wine and resveratrol

While wine has plenty of antioxidants in the form of flavonoids, the non-flavonoid antioxidants are now a matter of great interest. Resveratrol in particular is said to be beneficial in preventing arteries from getting clogged with fatty deposits. Its capacity to reduce bad cholesterol and prevent clots is also coming in for attention. Antioxidants in wine are not stored in the body. So moderate consumption of red wine is considered beneficial, for its valuable antioxidants.

Health benefits of wine

Moderate drinking of wine offers the following health benefits:

• Enhances memory power
  
  
• Increases the level of good cholesterol
  
  
• Prevents cancer
  
  
• Delays aging
  
  
• Excellent stress buster
  
  
• Relieves anxiety
  
  
• Lowers the level of bad cholesterol
  
  
• Lowers blood pressure
  
  
• Prevents ulcer
  
  
• Increases bone density
  
  
• Prevents diabetes
  
  
• Kidney stone risk is reduced
  
  
• Reduces the risk of heart diseases<
  
  
• Slows the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
  
  
• Red wine is highly beneficial for the heart
  
  
• Wine increases longevity
  

Wines like cabernet sauvignon, pinot syrah and pinot noir contain the maximum flavonoids and thus are meant to deliver the maximum health benefits.

Wine calories

To calculate the number of calories in the glass of wine you are consuming, calculate the below mentioned formula

1.6 x percentage x oz in glass

For e.g., if you have 10% alcohol, and 4oz in your glass, you should calculate the calories as
1.6 x 10 x 4 = 64 calories

The above formula helps in calculating the exact number of calories in any glass of wine you drink. Remember the alcohol content in wine is measured in percentage.

Wine calories for different types of wine

Calorie figures for full servings of wine and wine-like products:

• 5oz Wine: 100 calories
  
  
• 5oz Lite wine: 80 calories
  
  
• 12oz Wine Spritzer: 120 calories
  
  
• 12oz Wine Cooler: 215 calories