How to Calculate Calories in Wine
A glass or two of wine can be good for your health, particularly if it's red wine. Resveratrol, a flavonoid found in red wine, is something of a health superhero; according to The World's Healthiest Foods, it has heart-protective effects, can reduce risk of stroke and can inhibit the formation of tumors.
A glass or two of wine can be good for your health, particularly if it's red wine. Resveratrol, a flavonoid found in red wine, is something of a health superhero; according to The World's Healthiest Foods, it has heart-protective effects, can reduce risk of stroke and can inhibit the formation of tumors. White wine's benefits are modest, but there is some scientific research showing it can raise levels of HDL, or healthy, cholesterol. Wine doesn't come without a caloric cost; if dieting, you will want to factor wine calories into your daily allowance. You can use a simple formula to help you estimate.
Step 1
Multiply the number of ounces in the glass by 25 calories to calculate the calories in red wine, including Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Love to Know advises estimating red wines at 100 calories in a 4-oz. glass. A 5-oz. glass of one of these red wines will cost you 125 calories -- 15 less than a can of non-diet soda -- with many more health benefits. Calorie King lists pinot noir as having the lowest calorie count of the reds, with 114 calories per 5 oz., or roughly 23 calories per ounce. If you're not sure how many ounces your wineglass holds, ask the bartender or waiter; at home, you can simply use a measuring cup.
Step 2
Multiply the ounces in the glass by 24 to get the calories in dry white wine, including Chablis, sauvignon blanc and Reisling; a 5-oz. glass of one of these wines contains about 120 calories. If you're drinking a sweet white wine, such as a sauterne, Moselle or zinfandel, figure on 28 calories per ounce, or 139 calories in a 5-oz glass.
Step 3
Multiply total ounces by 20 if you are drinking a rose wine; 5 oz. of this pink wine will only cost you 100 calories. With Love to Know listing red zinfandel at about 22 calories per ounce, a 5-oz. glass will set you back 110 calories.
Step 4
Multiply champagne by 20 calories per ounce --19 if you want to be exact. Although champagne has a reputation as a diet-wrecker, Calorie King says that a 5-oz. glass of the bubbly will only set you back 96 calories; the website notes that 11 minutes of jogging, eight minutes of swimming or 27 minutes of walking is enough to metabolize the calories in one glass.
Step 5
Multiply total ounces by 46 to get the calorie counts of port wines, which are sweet dessert wines fortified with brandy. Good Cooking notes that most table wines contain 13 percent alcohol; with 20 percent alcohol, port wines pack a caloric and alcoholic punch. Port wines are usually savored in smaller amounts than table wines. If you limit yourself to 3 oz., or 139 calories, port wine doesn't have to torpedo your diet.
warning
Although one or two glasses of wine with meals can be beneficial, heavy drinking can raise the risk of many serious diseases.