What wine has less sugar and carbs? Your ultimate guide to healthier sips

December 9, 2025 •

3 min read

The sugar content in wine can vary dramatically, ranging from less than a gram to over 200 grams per liter depending on the type and fermentation process. If you're wondering what wine has less sugar and carbs, the answer lies in understanding dryness and residual sugar.

Quick Summary

Explore the best options for low-sugar, low-carb wine. Find out which dry red, white, and sparkling varietals have minimal residual sugar and learn how to identify them on labels.

Key Points

Opt for Dry Wines: The key to low-sugar wine is choosing dry varieties, where yeast has consumed most of the residual sugar during fermentation.
Explore Low-Carb Reds: Excellent red choices include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, which typically contain around 3-4 grams of carbs per glass.
Select Crisp Whites: Dry white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and unoaked Chardonnay are great low-carb options.
Go for Brut Sparkling: For bubbly options, look for labels that say "Brut Nature," "Extra Brut," or "Brut" to find the driest selections with minimal carbs.
Avoid Sweet and Dessert Wines: Stay away from dessert wines, late-harvest varieties, and fortified wines, which are very high in sugar and carbs.
Read Wine Labels Carefully: Look for dryness indicators like "Dry" or "Trocken" and note that a higher ABV often correlates with less residual sugar.
Check Regional Styles: Many wines from Old World regions like France, Italy, and Spain tend to be drier in style.

Understanding Sugar and Carbs in Wine

The sugar and carbohydrate content in wine is largely determined by the fermentation process. Yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol. The less residual sugar (RS) remaining after fermentation, the drier the wine and the lower the carbs. While dry table wines typically have 1-4 grams of carbs per 5-ounce serving, these mainly come from residual sugar. Sweet wines, where fermentation is stopped early, retain more sugar and thus have higher carb counts. A wine's sweetness level is a more significant indicator of carb content than its color.

The Best Low-Sugar and Low-Carb Wines

Choosing dry wines is the most effective way to limit sugar and carb intake from wine.

Dry Red Wines

Dry reds are known for their low sugar content, typically less than 2 grams per glass, and usually contain 3-4 grams of carbs per 5-ounce serving. Popular low-carb dry red options include:

Pinot Noir: Often around 3.4 grams of carbs per glass.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Approximately 3.8 grams of carbs per glass.
Merlot: Averages about 3.7 grams of carbs per glass.
Syrah/Shiraz: Ranges from 3.5 to 4 grams of carbs per glass.
Malbec: Contains around 4 grams of carbs per glass.

Dry White Wines

Dry white wines are also good low-carb choices, often with less than 2 grams of sugar per glass and 2-3 grams of carbs per 5-ounce serving. Consider these dry white varietals:

Sauvignon Blanc: Typically 2-3 grams of carbs per glass.
Pinot Grigio: Has about 2.5 to 3 grams of carbs per glass.
Chardonnay (Unoaked): Offers around 3.2 grams of carbs per glass.
Albariño: Provides 2.5 to 3 grams of carbs per serving.
Vermentino: A dry white with minimal sugar.

Dry Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines can also be low in carbs if you select dry options, indicated by specific terms on the label.

Brut Nature: Driest with minimal residual sugar (0-3 g/L), resulting in almost no carbs (0-1 g per glass).
Extra Brut: Very dry (0-6 g/L residual sugar), around 1-2 grams of carbs per glass.
Brut: A common dry style (0-12 g/L residual sugar).

Comparison Table: Dry vs. Sweet Wines


Wine Category	Examples	Average Sugar per 5oz Glass	Average Carbs per 5oz Glass
Dry Red Wine	Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon	<1 gram	3-4 grams
Dry White Wine	Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio	<1.5 grams	2-3 grams
Brut Sparkling	Champagne, Prosecco Brut	<2 grams	1-3 grams
Sweet Wines	Moscato, Dessert Wine, Port	6-20+ grams	10-20+ grams
Late Harvest	Riesling (Auslese)	7-14+ grams	15-20+ grams

How to Find Low-Sugar Wine: Tips for Reading Labels

Identifying low-sugar wines is straightforward if you know what to look for on the label. Key indicators of low sugar include:

Dryness Terms: Look for "Dry," "Brut," or "Trocken".
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): Higher ABV often suggests more sugar was fermented into alcohol, resulting in lower residual sugar. Wines with lower ABV (8-10%) are generally sweeter.
Region: Wines from certain regions, particularly Old World areas like France, Italy, and Spain, are often made in drier styles.
Specific Brands: Some brands specialize in producing low-sugar wines.

Conclusion

Enjoying wine while managing sugar and carb intake is achievable by choosing dry varieties. Opting for dry red wines like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon, crisp dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, and Brut or Extra Brut sparkling wines ensures lower sugar content. Understanding the fermentation process and checking labels for dryness indicators are key to making healthier wine selections that fit your dietary goals. As always, moderation is recommended. For further reading on wine nutrition, consider resources like Understanding Calories in Wine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dry wines, such as dry reds and whites, have the lowest sugar content because the fermentation process converts most of the grape's natural sugars into alcohol.

While dry red wines sometimes contain slightly less sugar than dry white wines, the dryness level is a more significant factor than the color. The lowest-sugar option is a very dry wine, regardless of color.

The term 'dry' indicates that the wine contains very little residual sugar. In these wines, most of the grape's sugar has been fermented into alcohol, resulting in an unsweetened taste.

To avoid high sugar, stay away from wines with terms like 'Late Harvest,' 'Dessert Wine,' 'Moscato,' 'Süss,' or 'Doux' on the label.

Yes, many dry wines are suitable for a keto diet due to their low sugar and carb counts, but moderation is still important. Stick to dry reds, whites, and brut sparkling wines.

The alcohol by volume (ABV) is required to be listed on the bottle's label. A higher ABV can sometimes indicate a lower residual sugar content, but checking for dryness indicators is more reliable.

Yes, all wine contains some level of naturally occurring sugar from the grapes. However, dry wines are fermented until the residual sugar is minimal, often less than 1 gram per glass.