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
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
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
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?
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.
| 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
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.
| 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.
| 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.
