| First it needs to be established that, yes, there | | | | Having established the existence of calories in |
| are calories in wine. Indeed, almost nything you | | | | wine it is important to count them in your daily |
| eat or drink contains calories unless it is made of | | | | dietary intake if you enjoy a glass of wine or two |
| almost entirely of water or chemicals. However, | | | | with a meal. However, it is also worthwhile to |
| calories should be considered fuel for the body | | | | keep the number of calories in perspective. |
| and a body will not function well without an | | | | Compared to a cheeseburger the calories in wine |
| adequate supply of fuel. That said, the calories in | | | | appear almost negligible. A cheeseburger can have |
| wine need to be counted if you are watching | | | | up to1000 calories and can include as much fat as |
| your weight. | | | | a body might require in a month! At least wine is |
| Wine As A Fuel Source | | | | fat free. The calories come from the sugar and |
| Typically, there are aroundy 80-100 calories in an | | | | the carbohydrates. So wine in moderation can |
| average-sized glass of wine. An average-sized | | | | usually be included in a calorie-controlled diet. |
| glass is considered to be 125-150 mls (around 4 fl | | | | The Benefits of Wine |
| oz), so in a 750ml bottle there are roughly five to | | | | Regardless of the calories contained in wine, there |
| six glasses of wine at most. There are red wine | | | | are many documented benefits to drinking it in |
| glasses available today that can hold almost a full | | | | moderation. Wine can enhance the food we eat |
| bottle of wine so it is important to consider the | | | | and act as an aid to digestion. Red wine in |
| size of the glass when counting the calories in | | | | particular has potential benefits in that it is |
| wine. A 750ml bottle of wine will generally contain | | | | believed to help protect against certain forms of |
| between 300 and 500 calories. | | | | cancer and heart disease. Studies have shown a |
| Not all wines contain the same number of calories. | | | | reduction of 30%-50% in heart disease of people |
| Some of the drier white wines, for example, | | | | who regularly drink a glass of red wine each night |
| Sauvignon Blanc, white Zinfandel, and Chablis are | | | | and a 20% reduction in death from certain |
| at the lower end of the calorie scale - around 80 | | | | cancers. |
| calories per glass. Red wines such as Cabernet | | | | The health benefits of drinking wine are often |
| Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Merlot tend to be | | | | attributed to the so-called "French Paradox", |
| in the mid range - around 95 calories per glass. | | | | whereby the French - even with a diet high in fat |
| Champagne contains around 100-105 calories per | | | | - don't suffer from heart attacks at the same |
| glass. | | | | rate as North Americans. This has been attributed |
| The really high calorie wines are the fortified | | | | to their moderate, though steady, wine |
| wines like Port, Madeira, Muscatel and Tokay. | | | | consumption. |
| These wines typically contain between 165 and | | | | So perhaps it's time to stop focusing on the |
| 185 calories per glass. However, it should be noted | | | | calories in wine and instead focus on the health |
| that these wines are usually served in smaller | | | | benefits ... in moderation, of course. |
| glasses. | | | | |