How Many Calories are in a Glass of Riesling?
Close to 42 percent of the U.S. is considered obese, and the numbers are set to increase within the next 5 years. Obesity is not a benign disorder and can lead to serious complications. Today, many people have become weight conscious and watch what they eat and drink. Knowing the calorie count of the beverages they drink is very helpful for those trying to prevent weight gain.
How Many Calories Are in a Glass of Riesling?
Other than water, almost every beverage, including colas, beers, and wine, has calories. For a wine like Riesling, the number of calories depends on the amount of sugar and alcohol in the beverage. In general, the higher the alcohol by volume (ABV) in a wine, the greater the calories. This is because every gram of alcohol contains calories. Some wines are sweet and have low alcohol content. In this case, each gram of sugar will contain 4 calories. However, wines can contain anywhere from 1-8 grams of sugar.
A 5-ounce glass of wine is equivalent to about 150 ml (equal to one glass). On average, most wines contain between 100-130 calories. But the problem is many people drink wine several times a week, and during each sitting, will consume two to three glasses; that equals about 350 calories per sitting. This amounts to about one-fifth of the total recommended caloric intake of about 1,800 calories/day.
One of the simplest ways to calculate the number of calories in 5 ounces of wine (150 ml) is to look at the label for the alcohol content (ABV) and multiply by 12. For example, if a wine contains 12% ABV, multiply this by 12, which equals 144 calories.
Ranking of Wines by Calorie Content:
- Overall non-alcoholic wine has the least amount of calories. A glass of non-alcoholic wine will only provide 9 calories.
- Light wines, such as Pinot Grigio, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc, usually have an ABV of 6.5%, and they provide about 74 calories.
- Medium-bodied wines usually have an ABV of 10-12.5% and provide between 120-140 calories. Most wines fall in this range.
- Heavy-bodied wines usually have an ABV greater than 14% and provide a minimum of 168 calories.
- Some sweet dessert wines contain both alcohol and sugars and can contain over 230 calories in one glass.
Of course, the more wine you drink, the more calories you add to your diet.
While it is nice to drink wine, one should not supersize the beverage and limit the frequency of drinking. For good health, it is recommended that men should consume no more than 1-2 glasses of wine per day, and women should drink 1 glass per day. At the same time, eat healthily and exercise regularly.
On average, there are about 120 calories in a glass of Riesling. In a chart of wines listed by calories, Riesling is one of the ones with fewer calories, which means you can drink more glasses of Riesling wine, right? That’s one way to look at it. Pacific Rim and Company has been passionate about Riesling wines for nearly 30 years. If there’s anything you want to know about Riesling wines, just ask them. Also, check them out on Instagram at @pacificrimandco, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.