Ever wonder what that glass of wine is costing your waistline? Without nutrition labels on most alcohol, many of us don’t notice how many calories we’re really consuming.
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But there is one indicator you can use to approximate calories: the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) percentage.
The ABV percentage for Zinfandel, for example, is 10 percent alcohol, which you’ll find on the bottle.
It's important to note that a sweeter wine with low alcohol could have fewer calories than a high-alcohol dry wine. According to Decanter.com, that's because residual sugar isn't as concentrated as alcohol, at four calories per gram.
Dry wines (less than one percent residual sugars):
ABV percentage x number of ounces you're consuming x 1.6 = Calories
Off-dry wines (1-4 percent residual sugars):
ABV percentage x number of ounces you're consuming x 4 = Calories
Dessert, fortified wines (high sugar):
ABV percentage x number of ounces you're consuming x 10 = Calories
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Here's a breakdown of how many calories are in your average alcoholic beverage, according to the USDA and National Institutes of Health:
- Red wine (5 oz.): 106 calories
- White wine (5 oz.): 100 calories
- Regular Budweiser beer (12 oz.): 143 calories
- Bud Light beer (12 oz.): 110 calories
- Margarita (4 oz.): 168 calories
- Piña Colada (4.5 oz.): 245 calories
- Champagne (4 oz.): 84 calories
- Martini (2.25 oz.): 124 calories
- Cosmopolitan (2.75 oz.) 146 calories
- 80-proof spirits (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, tequila — 1.5 oz.): 97 calories
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*Note that these are averages and the actual calorie content could vary depending on sugar and proof of your specific drink.
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