Number of Calories Per Glass in Red Wine

Besides taste and popularity, red wine is associated with a lot of health benefits. It is said to be a rich in antioxidants, which keeps you healthy. It has many vitamins and minerals and is considerably low in sodium.

One of the major benefit of red wine is that it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Although, there are health benefits associated with red wine, it is important to keep a track on its calories content.

Note: 1 Glass = 5 fl.oz.
Wine types, their Carbohydrate content (gm) and Calories are given as follows:

Syrah (3.79) - 123
Merlot (3.69) - 123
Cabernet Sauvignon (3.82) - 124
Pinot Noir (3.40) - 122
Zinfandel (4.20) - 131
Sangiovese (3.85) - 128
Cabernet Franc (3.60) - 125
Burgundy (5.46) - 129
Gewurztraminer (3.82) - 121

The chunk of calories in wine come from the residual sugar in the wine. In the wine-making process, a lot depends on how far the grape must is allowed to ferment; the longer it ferments, lesser is the sugar residual.

So, it is clear that calories in wine do not depend on whether it is red or white or rose wine. However, the calorie content does not solely depend on the residual sugar, but it can be said that it adds to the major part to the calorie content.

On an average, a glass of red wine has 100 calories. However, the type of red wine also decides the calories. Here is a chart of various types of red wine and their calorie content per glass.

There are many other types of red wine like Bordeaux, Ruby port, Tempranillo, Barbera and Malbec. The calories in each of these wines vary greatly. To give a simple example, there are 100 calories in a glass of Chianti red wine; on the other hand a glass of Ruby Port red wine has a whopping 180 calories!

Many restaurants also allow you to buy an entire bottle of wine. It isn't uncommon for a wine loving couple to consume an entire bottle during a date! A wine bottle, in U.S., is usually 757ml, or 25.6 fl. oz. Hence, if we talk about bottles, a bottle of red wine has an average 520 calories.

Additionally, there are certain health benefits associated with red wine. Some of them are as follows.

• Flavonoids, resveratrol and sapponins are some of the antioxidants present in the red wine. These antioxidants reduce the production of low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol and increases the production of high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol, which in turn reduces the risk of heart diseases.

• Good cholesterol or HDL also prevents the formation of blood clots and it protects arteries and veins from damage.
• If taken in moderate amount, the antioxidants resveratol can actually help in controlling blood sugar levels.

• Studies show, resveratrol hamper the formation of beta-amyloid protein which is one of the major culprit in the formation of plaque in the brain, found in the people suffering from Alzheimer.
• It helps in fighting common infections such as cold.
• Red wine is said to reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.

According to research, men can consume 2 servings per day and women can benefit from 1 serving a day (the serving size mentioned is, 1 serving = 5 oz). However it is advisable to consult a doctor before you start consuming red wine.

Good cholesterol or HDL also prevents the formation of blood clots and it protects arteries and veins from damage.

This was all about the calories in red wine according to different serving sizes. If you are particular about your weight, it would be a good idea to educate yourself about the calories in cocktails and alcohol. Apart from this, you can consult a doctor, if you are taking red wine for its health benefits, but do not want to consume the additional calories.