HOW MANY CALORIES ARE THERE IN WINE?

Very sweet grapes are more likely to ferment into wines with a higher concentration of alcohol. As such, these wines will have a greater amount of calories. When these drinks ferment, they also take on a high level of carbohydrates (fructose and glucose). A 750 ml bottle of wine contains around 560 kilocalories.

During the fermentation process, the yeast eats up the carbohydrates (sugars) and releases alcohol and CO₂ (carbon dioxide). The residual sugar content, or rather the sugar that has not been fermented, is what mainly gives the wine its carbohydrates.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an adult should consume between 2,220 and 2,500 kilocalories per day. So, if you have a glass of wine, you’re taking in between 75 and 125 kilocalories. However, this is very little; it would depend on how many you drink per day, and the total number of calories you consume from other food and drink each day.

Although the amount of sugar also plays a role in the number of calories, a dessert wine with a low proof will normally have fewer calories than a high-proof wine. Alcohol has almost twice as many carbohydrates than sugar. As such, the proof affects the calories much more than sugar.

However, the calorie count is also very tightly linked with the type of wine. To help you work it out, we’ve included approximate ranges of the calorie content of a 150 ml glass depending on the type of wine you're drinking:

• Sparkling wine: 120-160 calories
• White wine: 110-170 calories
• Rosé: 110-170 calories
• Red wine: 120-180 calories
• Dessert wine: 190-290 calories

Everything in moderation. So, if you're used to drinking one glass of wine a day, it won’t really have an effect on your overall calorie intake. That will depend more on what your diet is like and whether you’re going over the recommended amount of calories for your weight, height, stature and level of physical activity. If you're unsure about this, you can speak to a doctor or nutritionist, since calorie counting isn’t the most important thing, your health is.

If you've ever wondered how many calories there are in wine, you’ve probably also wondered if it can make you put on weight. The fact of the matter is, if you drink in moderation like we said before, it shouldn't be an issue. If you’re worried about your weight, go for ones with a lower proof.

What’s more, if you mix wine with soft drinks to make a wine cooler or a sangria, it’s quite a different matter. Soft drinks put more calories into it because of their huge sugar content. What’s more, people generally add sugar and sometimes other liqueurs to sangria. A glass of a wine cooler contains around 120 kilocalories, but if you make a wine spritzer using fizzy water with additives, it’s better than making a cooler with lemonade.