How to choose a lower calorie pour

This time of year, many of us want to whittle down that holiday waistline without dropping out of the social scene altogether.

So selecting a wine with fewer calories is an acceptable sacrifice without feeling punished.

Yes, different wines do have different calorie counts. But it may not be skewed the way you think. Most of us stay away from the sweeter stuff thinking the sugar packs loads of calories when in fact the alcohol is the culprit.

A standard five-ounce pour of the very sweet Beringer White Zinfandel with 34 grams per litre of sugar and 10 per cent alcohol checks in at about 105 calories. And only 20 of those calories come from the sugar. By comparison, the bone dry Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay has less sugar (2 g) but more alcohol (14.5 per cent) and checks in at about 125 calories for the same size glass.

The point is that almost all wines contain sugar and alcohol, which is where the calories are, but the vast majority of the calories come from the alcohol rather than the sugar. This is because alcohol is very dense in calories. A single gram packs seven calories, which is almost double that of sugar (four calories per gram). And most wines contain more alcohol than sugar.

To put that in perspective, wines range from nine to 16 per cent alcohol, which amounts to 11 to 19 grams of pure alcohol in five ounces. That alcohol has a value of between 75 and 135 calories.

Meanwhile, most wines have about two to 12 g/L of sugar, which amounts to about half a gram to two grams of sugar in a five-ounce pour — or one to seven calories. Even the sweeter wines such as the White Zinfandel mentioned above don’t contain much in the way of calories from sugar.

So when you’re choosing a wine and counting calories, consider the alcohol level first, then the sugar content. Both bits of information are easy enough to find. A wine’s alcohol percentage and sugar content are almost always noted on the LCBO website — type the wine name in the search box for the product page and scroll down. And the alcohol percentage is also on the label of each wine sold in Ontario.

So what wines do you choose to cut calories? Stay away those with higher alcohol levels, which is anything over about 14 per cent. These tend to be fuller-bodied styles of reds such as Petite Sirah and Shiraz and whites such as richer Chardonnays from hot climates.

Though flavour doesn’t dictate alcohol levels and calorie content, it’s useful to remember that growing regions with more heat and sunshine tend to produce higher alcohol wines with more calories. These regions produce riper fruit with more sugar available to turn to alcohol during fermentation. Think much of Australia, California, Argentina, Chile and southern parts of Europe.

Generally, wines with lower alcohol levels (anything less than 12.5 per cent) tend to come from growing regions with cooler climates such as Germany, Austria, northern France and Ontario. Riesling, Gruner Veltliner and red and white Burgundy are classic examples, as well as many wines from Ontario.

Hidden Bench Estate Riesling from Niagara has 95 calories, with 92 from the 11 per cent alcohol and three from 5g/L of sugar.

Drier sparkling wines are also smart choices because they tend to be low in alcohol and sugar — less than 12 per cent and fewer than 12 g/L in most cases. And portion control is built into sparkling wines, given the standard pour is four ounces.

Obviously, portion control with all wine is vital to keeping the calories in check. Yes, five ounces is considered a single serving of still table wine, but the average pour in most bars and restaurants starts at six ounces these days — so it pays to be mindful of moderation.

An easy way to moderate consumption is by making a white wine spritzer. Half crisp white wine and half soda water poured over ice with a slice of lemon or lime offers instant refreshment with fewer calories.

To steer calorie-conscious social butterflies among us in the right direction, here are five delicious wines with fewer than 111 calories a glass.

2016 Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, Loureiro & Alvarinho, Portugal (LCBO 89995 $11.95/750 mL in stores and online) 11 per cent alcohol 5 g/L sugar 95 calories/5 ounces Score: 91 NV Blu Giovello Prosecco

DOC, Italy (LCBO 85316 $14.95/ 750 mL in stores and online) 11 per cent alcohol 7 g/L sugar 77 calories/4 ounces Score: 91

2017 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (LCBO 308288 $19.25/750 mL in stores and online) 13 per cent alcohol 4 g/L sugar 111 calories/5 ounces 74 calories/3 ounce spritzer Score: 92 2016 J.P. Chenet Reserve Pinot Noir, South of France (LCBO 142406 $13.95/750 mL in stores and online) 12.5 per cent alcohol 9g/L sugar 110 calories/5 ounces Score: 89+

2015 Bouchard Père & Fils Petit Chablis, Burgundy,

France (LCBO 51466 $22/750 mL in stores and online) 12 per cent alcohol 2 g/L sugar 102 calories/5 ounces Score: 92+