Low Carb Wine: What Are the Best Options?

Wine is one of the best drink choices for those who are following a low carb diet.

However, this depends on the specific wine.

While some dry wines can be very low in carbs, some sweet wines can contain significant amounts of carbohydrate.

This in-depth guide presents the best and worst low carb wine options. For each wine, you can find the calorie, carb count, and alcohol by volume (ABV) per glass.

All nutrition data is per standard 5 oz (150 ml) serving.

Low Carb White Wine

Three Glasses of White Wine.

These drinks are all types of dry white wine, and they contain very low levels of carbohydrate.

1) Brut Champagne

Brut is a type of sparkling wine that comes from the renowned Champagne region of France.

Brut Champagne is also very dry, with the ‘Brut’ name signifying one of the driest – and lowest sugar – wines.

Nutritionally, it offers (1);

Calories: 115 kcal
Carbohydrate: 2.6 g
Typical ABV: 12 %

2) Chardonnay

The origins of Chardonnay lie in the French region of Burgundy, but producers now make the wine around the world.

Chardonnay is one of the world’s most famous wines, and it’s also one of the driest options.

A typical serving provides slightly over three grams of carbohydrate per glass (2);

Calories: 128 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.2 g
Typical ABV: 13 – 14.5 %

3) Gewürztraminer

This German wine has a strong aroma, and the fruity notes can be deceiving.

Although the wine tastes sweet, it still contains less than four grams per serving, making it a low carb wine (3).

In addition to its popularity in Germany, production of this wine also happens in Canada, France, and the United States.

Calories: 118 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.8 g
Typical ABV: 12 – 14 %

4) Marsanne

The origins of the Marsanne grape are in the Rhône region of France.

Marsanne is a globally popular wine, and producers make it in all corners of the world, from France and Spain to Australia and Canada.

Marsanne wine is a dry wine with a strong fruity taste, and it is has a relatively high alcohol content (4).

Calories: 128 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.0 g
Typical ABV: 13.0 – 15.0 %

5) Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio is a mild—and usually dry—white wine.

Hailing from the famed Burgundy region of France, this wine now grows in numerous countries around the world, with the Italian version being particularly popular.

The wine is known for its light and refreshing flavor, and it provides a reasonably low-carb option (5).

Calories: 112 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.8 g
Typical ABV: 11.5 – 13.5 %

6) Riesling

Riesling is a dry white wine from the Rhine region of Germany.

This particular wine qualifies as a ‘low alcohol wine,’ since it’s alcohol by volume hovers between 8 – 10% ABV.

The wine has a dry, but slightly sweet, fruity, and aromatic flavor.

Although it isn’t one of the lowest carb wines, it still only provides around five grams of carbohydrate per serving (6).

Calories: 118 kcal
Carbohydrate: 5.5 g
Typical ABV: 11.5 – 13.5 %

7) Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc has a lot of name recognition, and it is one of the more popular types of white wine.

Said to have a mellow, earthy and crisp flavor, this wine comes from the Bordeaux region of France.

Sauvignon Blanc is typically a dry wine, and it is one of the best wines for those who want to minimize carbohydrate intake (7).

Calories: 128 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.0 g
Typical ABV: 12.5 – 13.5 %

8) Semillon

Semillon originates in the West of France, and it also grows in Australia and South Africa.

Although it can range in from being a dry wine to a sweet one, Semillon is typically a slightly sweet and fruity wine with a crisp finish.

The sweetness means a slightly higher amount of sugar, but with fewer than five grams per serving, it still qualifies as a low carb wine (8).

Calories: 127 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.6 g
Typical ABV: 10 – 12 %

9) Viognier

Viognier possibly originated in Croatia, although the exact origins are unknown.

The wine is mainly produced in France, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand.

Although the wine has a strong flowery aroma and a fruity flavor, it is reasonably low in sugar and recognized as a dry wine (9).

Calories: 118 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.9 g
Typical ABV: 13 – 15 %

Low Carb Red Wine

Pouring Red Wine From a Bottle Into a Glass.

The following drinks are all dry red wines with minimal carbohydrate content.

1) Amarone della Valpolicella

Amarone della Valpolicella, as the name might suggest, is an Italian red wine from the province of Verona.

The wine itself has a rich, full-bodied taste and it is relatively high alcohol by volume.

In fact, there is a legal requirement that any wine carrying the name Amarone della Valpolicella must have a minimum alcohol content of 14% ABV.

The wine is also fairly low carb-friendly, with only 2.4 grams per serving (10).

Calories: 111 kcal
Carbohydrate: 2.4 g
Typical ABV: 14 – 16 %

2) Barbera

Barbera is one of the most popular Italian red wines, and it hails from the region of Piemonte.

With fruity notes of berries and high acid content, Barbera has a strong fruity taste.

Officially, Barbera is a dry wine, but it is one of the sweetest dry red wines and provides little over four grams of carbohydrate (11).

Calories: 127 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.1 g
Typical ABV: 12.5 – 14.5 %

3) Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the world’s most popular red wine, and wine-makers produce it around the world.

With a dry, full-bodied flavor, Cabernet Sauvignon offers a rich and fruity, slightly bitter wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is reasonably low in sugar and it contains fewer than four grams of carbohydrate (12).

Calories: 122 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.8 g
Typical ABV: 13 – 15 %

4) Malbec

Malbec is another full-bodied—and popular—red wine option.

With rich dark berry flavors, Malbec has high acidity and a tasty, fruity flavor.

Malbec originated somewhere in France, but it now grows in most wine-producing countries.

With less than four grams of carbs per serving, it’s a good option for those following low carb diets (13).

Calories: 125 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.8 g
Typical ABV: 13 – 15 %

5) Merlot

Merlot is yet another of the most popular red wines, and it has a soft, sweet, fresh and fruity flavor with notes of cherries and plums.

This particular wine comes from the Libournais region of France, but like other popular wine varieties, it now grows across the world.

Although it has a sweet and fruity taste, Merlot only contains 3.7 grams of carbs per standard glass (14).

Calories: 127 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.7 g
Typical ABV: 13.5 – 14.5 %

6) Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a light and fruity wine from which is likely from the Burgundy region of France.

However, wine-makers now produce the wine across the world, particularly in Europe and the Americas.

With a very low tannin level and high acidity, the wine offers a soft and fruity—and sweet—taste.

Despite this, Pinot Noir is a dry red wine, and it contains minimal levels of carbs (15).

Calories: 127 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.4 g
Typical ABV: 11.5 – 14 %

7) Rioja (Tempranillo)

Rioja is a dry and fruity red wine from a region of the same name in Spain.

As a result of its high tannin level, Rioja has a deep and bold flavor with a rich aroma to match.

With notes of cherry and dark fruits, Rioja has a flavorful taste, and it provides around 3.5 grams of carbohydrate per serving (16).

Calories: 119 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.4 g
Typical ABV: 12.5 – 14.5 %

8) Sangiovese

Sangiovese is considered to be one of Italy’s best red wines and originates from the province of Tuscany.

This wine has high levels of acidity with a slightly fruity and spicy taste, with notes of berries.

Sangiovese contains around four grams of carbs per standard glass (17).

Calories: 126 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.9 g
Typical ABV: 12.5 – 14.5 %

9) Shiraz

Shiraz is one of the world’s most popular red wines, and it originates in the Rhône region of France.

Also, Australian, Californian, and South African wine-makers produce large quantities of Shiraz.

Shiraz has a fruity, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor, and it contains just under four grams of carbohydrate per serving (18).

Calories: 125 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.8 g
Typical ABV: 13 – 14.5 %

10) Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a dry red wine that is originally from Croatia, but it is also one of the most famous Californian wines.

With a rich and fruity taste, Zinfandel has notes of cherries and dark berry fruits.

Compared to other wines, Zinfandel contains a slightly higher alcohol content, and it is relatively low in carbohydrate (19).

Calories: 129 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.2 g
Typical ABV: 14 – 16 %

Low Carb Rosé Wine

A Man and Woman Drinking Rose Wine.

Rosé wines are typically light and fruity, with lower alcohol content than regular red or white wines.

The following rosé wines offer the lowest carb content.

1) Loire

Loire is a type of rosé originating from Loire Valley in France.

The wine has a soft and rich flavor with strong notes of berries and cherries, and it is a light and refreshing drink.

The carbohydrate content of this wine stands at around 4.4 grams per serving (20).

Calories: 116 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.4 g
Typical ABV: 10.5 – 12.5 %

2) Provence

This rosé wine comes from the same-named French region of Provence.

Provence rosé is very light in color, but it has a flavorful taste, with a crisp and fruity flavor.

Per standard serving, Provence rosé contains approximately four grams of carbs (21).

Calories: 124 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.0 g
Typical ABV: 12.5 – 13 %

3) Rosato

Rosato is an Italian variety of rosé with a light and refreshing taste.

The wine has notes of watermelon and citrus, and it is typically a shade of dark pink.

This rosé has around four grams of carbohydrate per standard glass (22).

Calories: 125 kcal
Carbohydrate: 4.0 g
Typical ABV: 12 – 13 %

4) Spatburgunder Weissherbst

Spattburgunder Weissherbst is a German type of rosé with a light, sweet, and fruity taste.

Despite this sweetness, the wine only contains around 3.5 grams of sugar per 5 oz (147 ml) glass (23).

Calories: 106 kcal
Carbohydrate: 3.5 g
Typical ABV: 11 – 12 %

5) White Zinfandel

White Zinfandel is a slightly sweeter variety of rosé that comes from California in the United States.

This rosé has a light and refreshing fruity flavor.

Although it is a semi-sweet wine, White Zinfandel still only contains around seven grams of carbohydrate per serving (24).

Calories: 149 kcal
Carbohydrate: 7.1 g
Typical ABV: 11 – 12 %

What Are the Best Low Carb Wine Options?

Bottle and Glass of Red and White Wine.

The table below shows the best low carb wines in order, from the lowest carb to highest carb choices.

Once again, all nutrition data is based on a typical 5 oz (147 ml) serving.

Best Low Carb Wines and Their Carbohydrate, Calorie, and Alcohol Content
Name Type Carbs kcals ABV %
Amarone Red 2.4 g 111 14 – 16
Brut White 2.6 g 115 12
Sauvignon Blanc White 3.0 g 128 12.5 – 13.5
Chardonnay White 3.2 g 128 13 – 14.5
Pinot Noir Red 3.4 g 127 11.5 – 14
Rioja Red 3.4 g 119 12.5 – 14.5
Weissherbst Rosé 3.5 g 106 11 – 12
Merlot Red 3.7 g 127 13.5 – 14.5
Malbec Red 3.8 g 125 13 – 15
Cabernet Sauvignon Red 3.8 g 122 13 – 15
Pinot Grigio Red 3.8 g 112 11.5 – 13.5
Gewürztraminer White 3.8 g 118 12 – 14
Shiraz Red 3.8 g 123 13 – 15
Sangiovese Red 3.9 g 126 12.5 – 14.5
Rosato Rosé 4.0 g 125 12 – 13
Provence Rosé Rosé 4.0 g 124 12.5 – 13
Marsanne White 4.0 g 128 13 – 15
Barbera Red 4.1 g 127 12.5 – 14.5
Zinfandel Red 4.2 g 129 14 – 16
Loire Rosé 4.4 g 116 10.5 – 12.5
Semillon White 4.6 g 127 10 – 12
Viognier White 4.9 g 118 13 – 15
Riesling White 5.5 g 118 11.5 – 13.5
White Zinfandel Rosé 7.1 g 149 11 – 12

High-Carb Sweet Red Wines

Bottle of Port Sweet Dessert Wine.

Now that you know the best low carb wine options, what are the sweet high-carb wines to avoid?

The list below shows some of the highest carb red wines and their carbohydrate content per 5 oz (147 ml) serving.

Although they can technically fit into a low-carb diet, they generally contain too much sugar to be low-carb friendly.

Red Wines That Are High In Carbohydrate
Name Carbs per Serving
Brachetti D’Acqui 20 g (25)
Banyuls 10 g (26)
Port 20 g (27)
Recioto della Valpolicella 20 g (28)
Tawny Port 17.5 g (29)
Vin Santo Rosso Unknown (high)

High-Carb Sweet White Wines

These sweet white wines are a poor choice of low carb wine due to their high carbohydrate content.

White Wines That Are High In Carbohydrate
Name Carbs per Serving
Moscatel 16.3 g (30)
Moscato 11 g (31)
Passito Unknown (high)
Tokaji 20 g (32)

Final Thoughts

As shown in this guide, wine can fit into a low-carb diet.

However, it is important to choose the right type of wine in sensible quantities.

On that note, the best options are dry red and white wines (and especially brut champagne).

For more on low carb diets and alcohol, see this guide for an in-depth look at the best low carb beers.

For something slightly different, blueberry wine is another excellent choice for a low carb wine.

Photo of author

Michael Joseph, MSc, ANutr

Michael works as a nutritionist in a community setting and holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Nutrition. He is a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition.