Are there more wine calories in red or in white?

This is a question people often ask about wine calories, red or white, which has more? Let two doctors battle this one out and give us the right answer on it, once and for all. Luckily, the answer is among the lines that we have been writing here and we can feel good about been as "smart" as two doctors combined:)

Here is the link for credit http://drvino.com/2007/08/06/counting-calories-with-geoff-kalish-md/

Well although I am a doctor, I’m not that kind of doctor. But I know where to turn. So I sat down with Geoff Kalish, MD who used to write a column about wine and health for the Wine Spectator.

Dr. Vino: So which is more caloric, red or white?

Dr. Kalish: Neither. The color of the wine makes no difference on the calories.

Dr. V: Aha! A red herring. So what does make one glass of wine more caloric than another?

Dr. K: Primarily, the alcohol level. A four ounce glass of wine at 12 percent alcohol has about 120 calories; the same size with a wine 14 percent alcohol has about 140-160 calories; a 16 percent alcohol wine, about 160-190 calories.

Dr. V: Holy Turley, Batman! What about residual sugar in a wine? Does that make a difference in the calories?

Dr. K: Not as much as alcohol.

Dr. V: What about moscato d’Asti at 5.5% alcohol and lots of sugar?

Dr. K: Sugar provides many less calories per gram than does alcohol (4 compared to 7). Moscato is a lower calorie wine. That, prosecco, brut zero Champagne are all low calorie wine choices. It’s zinfandel, amarone, some California chardonnays, for example, that have higher calories because of the alcohol level.

Dr. V: So should people watching their weight cut wine out as an easy way to reduce calories?

Dr. K: No. Research has shown a small amount of wine in a weight loss plan can actually act as an appetite suppressant, in part because of the alcohol level as well as the pectin content. However, young, tannic reds appear not to have this effect, so aim for a wine that is 11 - 12% alcohol and not overly tannic.

Dr. V: Interesting. I thought red wine was overall the “healthier” wine because of those tannins.

Dr. K: Tannins may have other health benefits but this is just in terms of acting as an appetite suppressant.

Dr. V: All right, thanks. And bottoms up with a dry chenin blanc!

How much do wine calories and other liquid calories count?

Calorie In Alcohol - Liquid Calories Count, Even If They Don't Register

When researchers go looking for trends that might explain the nation’s obesity epidemic, most agree on at least one thing: Americans have a drinking problem.

It’s not only alcohol. It’s everything—sodas, sport drinks, specialty coffees and teas, fruit beverages of every ilk. Except for milk, Americans’ per capita consumption of virtually all beverages has steadily increased over the last couple decades … right along with our average weight.

Does that mean all the extra guzzling is to blame? Nutritional researchers think it’s definitely part of the problem, for several well-documented reasons.

To begin with, in spite of advertising promises of “satisfying refreshment,” the science shows that when we drink our calories, we actually don’t feel satisfied, literally. With the notable exception of milk, fluid intake typically isn’t sufficient to trigger production of the hormones that alert the brain that the stomach has been fed. That’s the sensation doctors call “satiety;” most people call it “being full,” and recognize it as the cue to stop eating.

This is particularly so if you’re slowly sipping, but research shows that it holds true even if you slam a tall, cold one, and in Southwest Florida, who hasn’t done that? But that sudden temporary bloat you’ll feel is no substitute for satiety.

Now consider that point together with another key part of the problem: portion sizes for food servings are ballooning out of control, and drinks are the worst of it.

Pick any given bottled beverage, one of those fancy coffees or teas, a fruit drink, soda or sport cooler. Then check the nutritional label, first for calories and then for number of servings. Most contain two or more servings, but how many of us are really sharing that Snapple with a buddy?

And dietary research at Penn State showed that even among consumers who did check nutritional labels for calories, they just didn’t take the extra step and multiply for the extra servings, to get an accurate total calorie count.

Fountain drinks are even more troublesome than bottled beverages. Ounce for ounce, those big fountain drinks are a better deal, so we’re buying more and drinking more! A 32 ounce, convenience-store fountain beverage costs, on average, about 69 cents. It sounds like a real deal, but keep in mind that a typical adult should consume from 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day. If you put regular sweetened soda in that vat, you’ll add about 300 calories to your daily intake, get no nutritional benefit whatsoever, and not even alleviate your hunger! That’s no bargain, no matter how big the gulp.

Maybe you’re one of those sippers or gulpers who’ve made the switch to a “healthier” fruit drink or sport beverage. Don’t assume you’re coming out much ahead of those who are sucking up the soda pop. A lot of commercially produced fruit juice drinks don't actually contain much juice. They're mostly high fructose corn syrup, water and fruit flavorings. The nutrients, if any, have usually been added after the fact to make the product more appealing to those consumers who do investigate the nutritional data.

Take Hi-C, that perennial kid favorite. It’s “fortified” with extra vitamin C, but it contains only 10 percent fruit juice, a fact that is emblazoned proudly across the label. Sunny Delight would have us believe that "citrus beverage" is a healthy drink choice, and it’s heavily marketed as a smart alternative to soda. Don’t believe the hype. Sunny D is mainly corn sweeteners, water and fruit flavorings, and it’s a poor source of nutrients relative to caloric content.

Researchers also find that when we drink our calories, as opposed to consuming them in food, we just fail to recognize that we’re taking in calories at all! When we load on extra calories by having a treat or eating too much at a meal, most of us will compensate by cutting back on something else, so as to try to consume roughly the same amount of calories overall.

Not so with drinks. Study after study shows that it’s as if people think calories don’t count if they come in a fluid form. People often sip drinks all throughout the day, but seldom displace any food intake to allow for it. The 300 calories in that large cola just get added on to the bottom line. The same goes for alcohol. People tend not to think about the calories in alcoholic beverages, and after the first couple drinks, they tend not to care about them, either.

The good news is that as unwanted calories go, it’s pretty easy to shave beverage calories back off the bottom line. While dieters often have trouble reducing their food calories, research shows that cutting back on drink and wine calories is, well, a lot easier to swallow.

THROUGH THICK & THIN: Quick liquid calorie cutbacks Simply switch to low- and non-caloric beverages like diet soda, regular coffee and tea, or good old water. It may take you a few drinks to adjust to your new flavor choice, but it’ll be a lot easier than adjusting to a new, bigger pant size.

About The Author

Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. is a board certified Family Physician and a board certified Bariatric Physicians (the medical specialty of weight management). Dr. Cederquist is the founder of http://www.bistromd.com a home diet delivery program that specializes in low calorie gourmet food that is delivered to your home or office and a practicing bariatric physician.

Great Article About Wine Calories!

The Calories in Wine

The holidays are a time of year when many of us have to loosen our belt buckles just a bit, attempting to satisfy our expanding waistlines. It's not our fault; the pumpkin pie, the chocolate fudge, and the buttered yams all sit smugly on the dinner table, daring us to take a bite: yes, we are practically being force fed. Even so, the calories still add up, not just one crumb at a time but also one sip at a time.

In moderation or in abundance, the calories of wine can make a difference in weight. Drinking a few servings a day gives you a few hundred more calories, giving you a few more pounds over time. For this reason, it's important to account for the calories consumed whenever you raise your glass.

As a general rule, a glass of wine contains about 80 calories, when the term "glass" is comparable to 4 ounces and not comparable to a 7-11 Big Gulp. Fortified wine is typically higher in calories and wines with higher alcohol content - because alcohol is where the majority of the calories are generated - may pack a better punch, but they will also pack on more pounds. To put this in perspective, the US Department of Agriculture states that 100 grams of wine with a 12.2 alcohol content have roughly 85 calories; 100 grams of wine with a 18.8 alcohol content have 135 calories. The sugar in wine also plays as much a dramatic role as the alcohol; the higher the sugar content, the more calories it will have. For this reason, some dieters prefer to consume dry wines with lower alcohol content.

Even when the above is taken into consideration, many wines contain a similar amount of calories or only differ by a small number. Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Burgundy, White Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Chianti, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc , Champagne , and White or Red Zinfandel all contain between 90 and 100 calories per serving. To tip the scales, Madeira, Muscatel, Ruby Port , White Port , and Tokay all contain between 160 and 180 calories per serving.

No matter the type of wine consumed, people who drink do run the risk of gaining weight, but the wine itself is not the problem: rubbing the nose of your bottle of Port against your bathroom scale and repeatedly telling it "No" is unwarranted. It's not the consumption of wine that adds pounds, it's the consumption of wine without cutting back on food. Wine, like other liquids, doesn't have the ability to curb our appetite. Thus, many of us start to drink wine without taking into consideration the extra calories and we consume our regular caloric intake through food. When the calories of wine are added to our regular intake, additional calories are consumed. Still, these additional calories are often better for you than additional calories from other alcoholic sources.

When compared to other alcohol, wine has a slight edge. Beer, particularly light beer, may be less caloric than wine, as a 12 ounce light beer typically has 100 calories, but beer doesn't possess the health benefits of wine; it doesn't have the antioxidants. When compared to mixed drinks and straight shots, wine wins bottles down. Mixed drinks, especially when mixed with sugary sodas, and shots of hard alcohol are very caloric and contain no health benefit. They have nothing to offer but calories and they know it, leaving them to sometimes throw themselves down the drain when the bartender is not looking.

Drinking wine doesn't have to equal increased pounds. One way to have your wine and drink it too is to simply adopt physical activity as a means to make up for the additional calories - instead of driving to the bar, walk there; instead of pushing a cart through a liquor store, carry your supplies; instead of drunk dialing your ex-lovers, jog to their house and speak to them. You can also keep from gaining weight by cutting back on the calories consumed through other means - eat less candy during the day; have a banana for a snack instead of a muffin; eat a salad instead of a steak. Adopting a few of these habits will make room for the wine calories you consume. If, for some reason, these habits don't quite work, getting rid of wine is not the answer. Instead, simply remember two little words: liquid diet.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Should consumer know how many beer calories and wine calories are in each drink and in each brand?

I’d say absolutely. More information about the alcoholic drinks we are drinking can not hurt us, rather people will think twice before they open up a new can or pour another glass and forget about their wine calories in take.

A few weeks back the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) decided that we as consumers have a right to know what each serving contains. “The notice calls for the alcohol industry to provide American consumers with detailed product information including alcohol content, the amount of alcohol per serving, macronutrients such as carbohydrates and calories in all beer, wine and spirits.”

I always like reading the label to see what we drink and eat just to see what is that I’m putting in my body. Even though sometimes I don’t exactly know what that is what is written on the label:). Maybe that is because English is not my first language and I’m sure you have figured that out my sentence structure already:). However, I love writing here and I recommend for you to go and check out this article in detail in yahoo biz section and see how soon we can see the stats for wine calories and beer calories in our drinks. This is the link right here http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070731/nytu065.html?.v=96

What do you think, would you be happy to have that information at you finger tips when enjoying you favorite glass of wine while wanting to maintain or lose some weight? Leave me your opinion. Thanks.

Wine Calories might add up quickly!

When drinking wine most people don’t think of calories in wine. At least among my friends we never talk about it or are concerned if that might affect our diet goals. When eating I’m usually pretty good at making sure that I wouldn’t overeat but when drinking I never pay attention if my calorie consumption is going up or not. Maybe it is that I’m just having such a great time that I just don’t want to think about it.

So, the question still remains how many calories are in wine? It depends on the wine, the sugar and alcohol content are what drives the calorie count but on average there is close to 140 calories in a glass of wine and about 550 calories per bottle. I’ve heard that people say that there are about 90 calories in a glass of win (4 ounces) but most restaurants pour four glasses out of the bottle. The standard bottle of wine is 750 ml which is little more than 25 ounces and that is more than 6 glasses if you only pour 4 ounces per glass. So, the calories per bottle do add up to about 550 calories. It just depends how many glasses you pour out the bottle and therefore, how many calories you get from a glass of wine is directly related how much is in the glass.

If you have a glass with your meal it is not going to make much of a difference but if you have 4-6 glasses at party it might make a difference for you. You can see it is very easy over time to put on weight without realizing it while going to a happy hour with your friends and have a few glasses of wine and eating a normal size dinner.

I’m not planning on cutting down my happy hours or wine drinking and therefore on wine calories as I enjoy drinking wine too much. Therefore, I better keep taking stairs rather than elevator, running at extra 5 minutes on the treadmill and drinking plenty of water at all times to stay in shape. However, compare to hard liquor drinks we got a pretty good deal with wine and wine calories. So, happy wine drinking.