One of the things I absolutely love about wine is that there are a ton of wines that don't have much sugar, so they're low in carbs. Of course, you're never going to find a dessert wine that's low carb (darn it), but that doesn't mean you don't have a ton of other choices. Reds, whites, rosés, skin-contact whites, and sparkling wines all have lower-carb options that'll help you stick to your low-carb lifestyle.
Carb Chart for Dry White & Skin Contact Wines
If you want to minimize carbs in your diet, then look for the words "dry" or "brut." In the case of all wines (red, white, rosé, skin-contact whites, sparkling), these terms mean a wine has less sugar (around 1 gram per serving). Terms like off-dry, semi-brut, sweet, late-harvest, and dessert indicate a wine has more sugar, and it's sugar that brings the carbs. So if you're all-in on carbs, these tasty sweet wines are the wines for you. But if you're watching carb intake, stick with dry wines.
Related: Guide to Sugar Content in Wine
The following is a short list of carbs in popular white wines, referenced from the USDA's Nutrient Database.
| Wine | Number of Ounces | Number of Carbs |
| Champagne, brut | 5 ounces | 1 gram |
| Soave | 5 ounces | 1.4 grams |
| Muscadet | 5 ounces | 2 grams |
| Prosecco | 5 ounces | 2.4 grams |
| Albariño | 5 ounces | 2.7 grams |
| Dry rosé wine | 5 ounces | 2.9 grams |
| Dry viognier | 5 ounces | 3 grams |
| Sauvignon blanc | 5 ounces | 3.01 grams |
| Pinot grigio/pinot gris | 5 ounces | 3.03 grams |
| Chardonnay | 5 ounces | 3.18 grams |
| Torrontés | 5 ounces | 3.2 grams |
| Grüner veltliner | 5 ounces | 3.5 grams |
| Gewürztraminer | 5 ounces | 3.8 grams |
| Chenin blanc | 5 ounces | 4.9 grams |
| Dry riesling | 5 ounces | 5.54 grams |
These are ballpark figures. Wines may have more or fewer carbs based on winemaking processes, how much sugar the grapes have in a given year, the wine's alcohol content, and more.
Chart of Carbs in Dry Red or Dry Rosé Wines
Dry red wines all have similar amounts of carbohydrates — ranging from about 4 grams to 5.5 grams per 5-ounce serving. As with white wines, carb counts are approximate, and many things will determine a wine's final carb count. Here is a list of popular dry red wines and their carbohydrate counts according to the USDA.
| Wine | Number of Ounces | Number of Carbs |
| Pinot noir | 5 ounces | 3.4 grams |
| Nebbiolo | 5 ounces | 3.5 grams |
| Tempranillo | 5 ounces | 3.5 grams |
| Gamay | 5 ounces | 3.5 grams |
| Cabernet franc | 5 ounces | 3.6 grams |
| Shiraz/syrah | 5 ounces | 3.79 grams |
| Lambrusco | 5 opunces | 3.8 grams |
| Cabernet sauvignon | 5 ounces | 3.82 grams |
| Sangiovese (Chianti) | 5 ounces | 3.85 grams |
| Mourvèdre | 5 ounces | 3.88 |
| Carménère | 5 ounces | 4 grams |
| Grenache | 5 ounces | 4 grams |
| Petite sirah | 5 ounces | 4 grams |
| Barbera | 5 ounces | 4 grams |
| Malbec | 5 ounces | 4.1 grams |
| Zinfandel | 5 ounces | 4.2 grams |
| Red Burgundy | 5 ounces | 5.46 grams |
As a general rule, the fuller-bodied the wine, the higher the carb count. The lighter-bodied the wine, the lower the carb count. Always check the label or look on the winemaker's website for nutritional information about any wine before consumption if you are concerned about the carb counts.
Terms That Show a Wine Is High in Carbs
If you are counting your carbs, make sure the wine you purchase is dry. Avoid wines with words on the label that indicate they contain more sugar, such as:
- off-dry
- semi-sweet
- sweet
- dessert
- late harvest
- spätlese
- auslese
- beerenauslese
- trockenbeerenauslese
- halbtrocken
- lieblich
- süß
- eiswein
- puttonyos
- ice wine
- doux
- dolce
- sec
- semi-sec
- demi-sec
All wines labeled with these terms have a high residual sugar content that pumps up the carb count. How much really depends on the winemaking process and how quickly the winemaker ends fermentation to leave residual sugar behind. If a wine tastes naturally sweet, it's high in residual sugar and carbs.
Carbs in Fortified Wines
Fortified wines are so tasty, but if you're watching your carbs, realize that many of them have higher carb counts. Dry fortified wines, such as dry sherry and dry vermouth (yup — vermouth is a wine) have less than 1 gram of carbs per ounce, but the sweeter fortified wines like cream sherry, sweet vermouth, port, and Madeira have higher carb counts because they contain more residual sugar.
These include:
Related: What Is Vermouth? Your Guide to This Fortified Wine
Understanding the Carbs in Wine
When most people think of carbohydrates, they think of starchy food, candy, baked goods, sugary mixed drinks, and sweet wines. Dry wine, on the other hand, contains no starch and very little residual sugar. Fermentation converts the grapes' natural sugars to alcohol, which is why so many wines are low-carb in spite of the grapes that make them having a good amount of sugar.
Best Wines for Keto Diets
If you are on a keto diet or low-carb diet, the goal is to minimize carb intake. Many people on keto diets enjoy moderate alcohol intake including wine. Your best bet is a single serving (5 ounces) of dry wine; Champagne, Prosecco, rosé, and sauvignon blanc are good bets for whites or rosés, while pinot noir is your best bet for a red.
How Wine Carbs Compare to Other Alcohols
When you're counting carbs and consuming other alcoholic beverages, it's usually the mixers that get you. Most distilled spirits have 0 carbs, while sweet liqueurs are high in carbs. Infused spirits, such as flavored vodka, may contain added sugar, so it's important if you are counting your carbs that you do your research to see if the brand you're drinking adds sugar to their infused spirits. Many light beers are also quite low in carbs. If you are on a strict, carb-controlled diet, your best bets for lowest-carb alcoholic beverages with no mixers include:
| Beverage | Serving Size | Carbs |
| Vodka, tequila, gin, rum, scotch, Cognac | 1.5 ounce | 0g |
| Vodka soda | 4 ounces | 0g |
| Dry martini | 3 ounces | <1g |
| Dry Champagne | 5 ounces | 1g |
| Budweiser Select beer | 12 ounces | 1.5g |
| Dry rosé wine | 5 ounces | 2.4g |
| Michelob Ultra beer | 12 ounces | 2.6g |
| Pinot noir | 5 ounces | 3.4g |
Many Wines Work for Carb Counting
I've been a carb counter on and off for years. And wine has been my go-to beverage when I want a low-carb drink. Because so many dry wines are naturally low in carbs, you don't skimp on flavor at all in order to keep your carb counts low. So sip on a few ounces of dry wine if you want. It isn't going to blow your diet (unless you drink the whole bottle).
