Amarone. A rich Italian dry red wine, Amarone is pretty strong, and it'll get you drunk fast. "Too much alcohol has a negative effect on the liver," he says. It's smart to stay away from certain Amarones, since the full-bodied reds have some of the highest alcohol content, he notes.
Along with Zin, Bourque recommends staying away from these three highly sweet wines: port, Moscato, and riesling. The health factor here is staggering: Franzia's Moscato, for example, packs 135 calories and a whopping 11 grams of sugar per glass.
Pinot Noir is rated as the healthiest wine because of the high levels of resveratrol. It is made of grapes with thin skin, has low sugar, fewer calories, and low alcohol content. Sagrantino made in Italy contains the highest concentration of antioxidants and is packed with tannins.
In general, white wine tends to have fewer calories compared to red wine. Sweet wines, like dessert wines, typically rack up the calories faster than dry wines.
Wine on its own does not cause belly fat when consumed in moderation. Drinking too much wine over time can certainly affect your waistline, but the same is true for any type of alcohol. The more you drink, the more weight you might gain thanks to excess calories alone.
In moderation, drinking wine won't cause belly fat any more than any other food or beverage in your diet. In fact, research shows that it could even help reduce weight gain. Drinking too much wine, however, will have the opposite effect.
Here are the lowest-sugar wines in the game: Dry reds, which often have under one gram of sugar per five-ounce pour: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah/Shiraz. Dry whites, which have between one and 1.5 grams of sugar per five ounces: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Viognier.
Enemy #1: Temperature. Temperature swings can be detrimental to fine wines, as exposure to heat can cause a wine to push the cork out of the bottle (leading to oxidation).
Wines of lower quality frequently have fewer flavors and aromas and are more one-dimensional. The taste of a wine can reflect the grape variety, climate, soil, and winemaking methods used in its production, making it a key indicator of its quality.
It is estimated that alcohol-related fatty liver disease develops in 90% of people who drink more than 40g of alcohol (or four units) per day. That's roughly the equivalent of two medium (175ml) glasses of 12% ABV wine, or less than two pints of regular strength (4% ABV) beer.
Wines with low sugar tend to be dry, red wines such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah/Shiraz. These wines may have as little as just one gram of sugar per liter and are probably the healthiest wines available.
Long-Term Health Risks. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
Drinking a bottle of wine a day may rapidly increase the likelihood of physical and chemical alcohol addiction developing. Drinking a bottle per day equates to approximately 9 units per day or 63 units per week, far in excess of UK NHS recommended guidelines (14 units per week)[1].
Health experts suggest considering a glass or two at a sitting and leaving two or three days between drinking. They advise against binge drinking and heavy consumption. The consensus is to make that bottle of wine last a week.
Experts strongly advise women against having more than 3 drinks of wine per day, and for men, 4 drinks of wine per day.
Dry wines, such as pinot noir, chardonnay, and brut Champagne, average 1 to 3 grams of sugar per 5 ounce pour. Sweeter wines, such as a riesling or zinfandel, can contain anywhere from 6 to 14 grams of sugar per 5 ounces.
Generally speaking, red wine has the lowest sugar content, with an average of around 0.9g per serving. White wines will usually have around 1.4g of sugar per serving, although this varies by type. Given its sweet nature, it will come as no surprise to learn that a glass of rose could include a huge 21g to 72g of sugar.
Quitting (or cutting back) on alcohol is one effective way to lose excess weight — especially when combined with other evidence-based weight loss approaches. It also has other mental and physical health benefits beyond simply lowering the number of calories you consume.