Wine calories

Wine has no fat—sans, trans, or otherwise. Alas, it does have calories.

Calories come from alcohol and sugar; sweeter wine, more calories, but range is narrow. A five-ounce glass of sweet wine has some 130 calories, dry 120. On average, bottle of wine has 625 calories.

Happily, wine weighs in pretty well compared to other things we drink and eat.

Single avocado is 250-300 calories—two glasses of wine.

Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha (whole milk, no whipped cream) delivers 540 calories in its 20 ounces, making it slightly more caloric than four glasses of wine.

Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla—510 calories, four glasses of wine.

Burger King Fire-Grilled Whopper with Cheese—730 calories, almost six glasses of wine, more than a bottle.

Applebee’s Shrimp ’N Parmesan Sirloin Steak with side of Chili Cheese Fries—1,190 calories; McDonald’s Big Mac Meal with fries and Coke—1,120 calories. Each nearly two bottles of wine.

Other calorie counts:

Twelve-ounces of standard beer—150 calories. Six-pack, 900 calories—hello beer belly.

One shot (1.5 ounces) of liquor—100 calories, but who stops at one?

Eight-ounce glass of orange juice—same 125 calories as glass of wine. Interesting substitute opportunity.

Twelve-ounces of non-diet cola—150 calories, same as bottle of beer. Another interesting substitute opportunity.

Healthy calorie intake depends on gender, age, activity level. Low range is 1,800 a day, high range 3,000. Investigate what is right for you.

Bottom line: there are health benefits to moderate intake of wine. But, as with so many enjoyable things, it is not consequence-free. Moderation suggested.

Tasting notes:

  • Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry and Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée: Two chardonnay sparklings; apples, citrus; extra dry bit sweeter than brut, both have good acidity; appealing value pours. $9
  • Scheid Family District 7 Chardonnay 2011: Delicious tropical fruit, pineapple, pear; restrained oak, food friend plays nice with your palate. $18
  • Pali Wine Tower 15 The Swell Paso Robles 2011: Superb Bordeaux-style blend; great nose; focused fruit-blackberry-plum-cherry-fig; smooth with good acidity. $22

Last round: I’m on the wine diet. Last week I lost three days.