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Sugar is, unsurprisingly, the devil of all dieters. And it’s not without reason. Sugar’s empty calories mess with insulin levels, aggravate health problems, and contribute to sleepless nights, to say nothing of helping you gain weight. When a wine enthusiast decides to keep track of his or her sugar intake, it’s only logical to want to know which wines have the least amount of residual sugar.
WINE AND SUGAR
Wine is formed when the grape’s natural sugar is converted to alcohol during fermentation. Simply said, if the fermentation of a wine is stopped before all of the sugar is converted to alcohol, the wine will have more residual sugar and taste sweeter. Many sweet dessert wines, late harvest wines, fortified wines, and many regional Rieslings under 11 percent alcohol by volume have high sugar content.
WINE SUGAR CONTENT
Whether you prefer red wine to white wine or a glass of sparkling wine, certain types of wine have lower residual sugar levels. The lower the sugar level of a wine, the drier it is, because most of the sugar has been removed during fermentation (thus the term “dry” vs. “sweet” wine). Keep these suggestions in mind the next time you go wine shopping or order a glass at a bar.
Champagne
Choose extra dry, brut, or extra brut sparkling wine and Champagne when it comes to sparkling wines. The residual sugar levels will range from 0.6 to 2.0 percent sugar per liter (or 6 to 20 grams of sugar per liter of wine), with extra brut being the driest and containing the least sugar.
Wines That Are Dry
Both dry red and dry white wines have lower residual sugar levels, ranging between 0.1 and 0.3 percent sugar per liter (or 1 to 3 grams of sugar per liter of wine).
Wines That Are Semi- Or Off-dry
These wines are in the center, with sugar levels that are somewhere between dry and sweet. These wines typically have a residual sugar content of 1 to 3 percent sugar (or 10 to 30 grams of sugar per liter). Semi- or off-dry wines are a little sweeter on the palate as a result of this.
Wines That Have Been Fortified
Fortified wines (such as Port, Sherry, and Marsala) can include as much as 15% residual sugar (or 150 grams of sugar per liter), but they’re usually closer to 5%.
Wines From The Late Harvest
Late harvest wines can have up to 20% residual sugar and 200 grams (or more) of sugar per liter, making them a sweet treat that is commonly served as dessert.
CONSIDER THESE TYPES
Champagne Brut
Although the amount of sugar in Champagne varies, bottles labeled brut, extra brut, or brut nature are your best bet if you’re searching for a low-sugar wine to raise a glass with. The term brut refers to something that is dry, raw, and unrefined.
Chardonnay
Another worldwide grape that goes nicely with almost any cuisine is Chardonnay. A glass of chardonnay has about 3.2 grams of total carbs per serving, with glucose accounting for about half of that.
Pinot Noir
The world’s most popular light-bodied red wine is reported to be made from this California grape. Total carbs in a 5-ounce drink are roughly 3.4 grams.
Sangiovese
In a 5-ounce glass of wine made from Italy’s most popular grape, there are around 3.8 grams of total carbs. Look for a bone-dry Chianti blend or Brunello di Montalcino if you enjoy red wine.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF SUGAR IN A GLASS OF WINE?
Because beverage producers aren’t obligated to publish the nutrition content on the label, determining the sugar amount of a given brand or varietal can be difficult. When in question, the total carbohydrate amount can at the very least assist you in determining the sugar content.
In general, however, here’s how the various sorts of wines compared:
- 1 gram of sugar per 5 ounce serving of red wine
- 1.7 grams of sugar per 5 ounce serving of white wine
- 6.8 grams of sugar per 6 ounce serving of rosé
- 8 grams of sugar per 3.5 ounce serving of sweet dessert wine
WINE WITH THE LEAST CONTENT OF SUGAR
Dry wines with less than 1% sweetness or 10 grams of sugar per liter) have the least amount of residual sugar. Wines that are semi-sweet or “off dry” often have more than 3% residual sugar.
Here are the wines with the least amount of sugar:
- Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah/Shiraz are examples of dry reds with less than one gram of sugar per five-ounce pour.
- Dry whites, with a sugar content of one to 1.5 grams per five ounces: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Viognier are three of the most popular white wines in the world.
- Sparkling wines with less than two grams of sugar per five ounces include: Extra Brut and Brut
WINE WITH THE HIGHEST SUGAR CONTENT
Dessert wines contain the greatest residual sugar level of any wine, with seven to nine percent residual sugar. To put things in perspective, a five-ounce glass of Chardonnay has only one gram of sugar, whereas five ounces of Port has roughly 12.
Here are the wines with the most amount of sugar:
- Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Chenin Blanc are examples of white wines.
- Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Grenache are examples of red wines.
- Sec, Demi-Sec, and Doux are sweet sparkling wines with a sugar content of 17 to 50 grams per liter.
- Port, Sauternes, and Tokaji are dessert wines with an average of eight grams per five ounces.
Summary: What Wine Has The Least Sugar?
Sugar is, unsurprisingly, the devil of all dieters. And it’s not without reason. Sugar’s empty calories mess with insulin levels, aggravate health problems, and contribute to sleepless nights, to say nothing of helping you gain weight. When a wine enthusiast decides to keep track of his or her sugar intake, it’s only logical to want to know which wines have the least amount of residual sugar.
