Low-calorie wine worth considering
Many brands offer options with naturally low sugar levels and low alcohol by volume
January signals the shift from holiday indulging back to moderation and focusing on leading a healthier lifestyle. Drinking responsibly is always important, and here’s a tip: drink less, but better. Here’s the skinny on wine calories.
Wines using “skinny” on the label suggest there is some unique quality (think aspartame) that will offer fewer calories than others. These “skinny” wines boast 100 calories per five-ounce glass along with phrases such as “healthy living” without any references to where or how these grapes were grown. OK, enough ranting. The product in question is very successful and the brainchild of one of the Real Housewives.
Calories are not about the colour of the wine — white, pink or red — but simply just the alcohol and residual sugar (RS) levels. (Remember, sugar is the sweet sensation felt at the tip of the tongue and not the ripe-fruit flavours.)
The North American consumer’s quest for wines with higher alcohol and sugar levels over the past few decades are shifting to less manipulated, more balanced and fresh wines. Over-ripened grapes and added sugar will increase the alcohol levels up to 15- and even 16-per-cent alcohol by volume (abv) and these bruisers can have 160 to 175 calories in a single five-ounce pour.
One of my favourite vignerons, Eric Texier, told the story of his growers’ (a couple well into their 90s) theory that each increase in alcohol results in double the effects felt by the consumer. So, you would feel twice the effects from a 10-per-cent alcohol wine compared to one at 11 per cent, and so on.
Grapes grown in cooler regions with naturally low sugar levels — and therefore lower alcohol levels — include Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc, Gavi and wines from Vinho Verde.
If you’re searching shelves for a bubbly, seeing Brut Nature or Zero on the label indicates that the wine will be bone-dry without any added sugars.
For the red wine lovers, look for Pinot Noir, Gamay and other wines from cool climate regions such as Bordeaux, Austria and Bardolino. (Pip has a fabulous one by the glass right now.)
Here are my top recommendations for well-made, low-calorie wines that are at or below 13 per cent abv (calories estimated on five-ounce glass pours).
PRIVAT ROSE BRUT NATURE $24
I am loving this organic Spanish pink Cava. A dry wine without any added sulphites or sugar, it’s a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Monastrell and Xarel·lo. A stellar, complex and flavourful sparkler with red berries, floral and mushroom notes, 100 calories with 11.5-per-cent abv and only 0.08 grams of residual sugar.
J BAUMER RHEIN REISLING $16
Experience the magic of the Riesling grape when the first sip presents itself with a touch of sweetness that is immediately washed away with vibrant, but not bracing, acidity. An aromatic and flavourful wine with citrus, apples and melon. This is a wine with low alcohol (nine-per-cent abv), meaning low calories even after factoring in the additional eight grams of residual sugar, 108 calories.
GADAIS MUSCADET DE SEVRE & MAINE SUR LIE $16
Although hard to pronounce, this is a great alternative to Pinot Grigio. Rich with crisp minerality (think of licking a piece of raw granite) from the rocky, steep slopes the vines are grown on.
Made from 100-per-cent Melon de Bourgogne with notes of citrus, green grapes and baked pears. The richness is a result of aging on its lees (dead yeast cells) for six months, 12-per-cent abv with almost no RS, resulting in a 96-calorie glass.
AGUSTI TORELLO MATA XIC XARELLO $19
A youthful, refreshing and fun wine made from Xarel·lo. Made from organically farmed grapes, the wine spends three months on the lees to produce a crisp, rich and flavourful wine with ripe stone and tropical fruits, 12.5-per-cent abv with one gram RS, resulting in 104 calories.
CHARTREUX LES CHATS SONT GRIS $18
A fresh and dry rose made from Grenache with concentrated juicy fruits and a twist of citrus, a slightly creamy palate and a bright finish. At 11-per-cent abv and negligible RS, coming in at just under 94 calories.
DELIBORI BARDOLINO DOC $18
This is a blend from Verona, Italy, close to Lake Garda.
A blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone, the wine is youthful, fruity and fragrant with red berries, dark cherries, plums and dried Italian herbs.
An easy-drinking and fresh wine with a touch of bitterness on the finish that wants to be paired with pizza and pasta, 12-per-cent abv and 0.25 grams of RS, 100 calories.
JEFF CARREL DANS L’AIR DU TEMPS PINOT $20
Jeff Carrel is an “outside the box” guy breaking away from French traditions and regional wine laws.
This 100-per-cent Pinot Noir from the Languedoc is light, fun, fruity and easy-drinking, with 12.5-per-cent abv and low RS, 108 calories.
LVD BOURGUEIL LEFIEF $19
A Cabernet Franc with the classic Loire dusty minerality, herbs and loads of crisp red berries. There is a particularly smoky and spicy quality to this fine example of Bourgueil. The low alcohol content of 12.5-per-cent abv with almost no RS results in 104 calories.
MANOIR DU CARRA BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES $23
A 100-per-cent Gamay from the granite and sandy slopes of southern Burgundy laden with red fruits, blackberries and fresh herbs. Unfiltered, light and elegant with some weight on the palate. Easy and enjoyable, the packaging emphasizes the winery’s focus on low-intervention in and out of the vineyard, no foil on top and a light bottle. At 12.5-percent abv, dry and 104 calories.
GRIFALCO GRICOS AGLIANICO VULTURE $21
Here’s a great option for Cabernet Sauvignon wine drinkers from Italy’s Campania region. Black grapes produce this fullbodied, bold, dark and structured wine with concentrated flavours of ripe black fruits, pepper and floral notes, along with freshness and balance. A dry wine at the higher alcohol level of 13-percent abv for 106 calories.