The ingredients and the fermentation or aging process of wine and beer determine the alcohol and carbohydrate content. The calories in wine and beer are easily estimated if the drinker knows the amount he is consuming and the alcohol percentage of the drink. It is important to remember, though, that beer has a wider range of calories and wine has more alcohol.
Wine Varieties
Wine is grouped into three categories: champagne, red and white. There are four ways to classify wines: the area where the grapes are grown, the kind of grape used, the generic and the brand name given by the bottler. In America, the most common terminology for classifying wine refers to what kind of grape was used, or the varietal.
Beer Varieties
Beer varieties include stouts and porters, lagers, ales, wheat and specialty. Stouts are recognized by their dark brown to almost black color. Porters are lighter and more red in color. Ales and lagers are more amber or golden in color.
Alcohol Content of Wine
The legal alcohol limit for table wine is 14 percent. Alcohol percentages range from 10 to 14, with an average of 11.5. Some wines have 19 percent alcohol and by law, must be labeled dessert wines. In general, dessert wines are sweeter than table wines and average 18.8 percent alcohol.
Alcohol Content of Beer
On average, beers range from 4 to 6 percent alcohol. Each state determines the legal alcohol limit for beer, and in recent years, some states have increased the legal level. Alabama and West Virginia have increased their levels to 16 percent and Georgia has increased its levels to 14 percent.
Calories in Wine
Wine has between 19 and 21 calories per ounce. A typical wine serving is 5 oz. Red wines usually run on the lower calorie end and white wines usually have the higher calorie content. Dessert wines will have more calories and can have as much as 45 calories per ounce. The additional calories in dessert wine is due to the higher alcohol and carbohydrate content. Table wines average 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per ounce and dessert wines average 3.5 g per ounce. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram.
Calories in Beer
A typical serving of beer is 12 oz. For regular beer, the calories range from 130 to 175 calories. Light beers, or "Lite" beers, range from 55 to 120 calories per 12 oz. serving. Beer has a higher carbohydrate content than wine. Regular beer ranges from 7 to 15 g per serving, while light beer ranges from 3 to 9 g per serving.
Estimating Calories in Wine and Beer
A quick estimate on calories can be done by multiplying the percent of alcohol by 1.6 calories per ounce of alcoholic beverage. For example, a 5 oz. glass of wine with an alcohol content of 14 percent contains about 112 calories; that is, a person multiplies 14 by 1.6, then multiplies that product by 5.
References
- "Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 16th Edition"; Jean A. T. Pennington; 1994
- "The Healthy Food Directory"; Michael Van Straten; 1999
- "Pairing Wine With Food"; Robert Hoffman and Virginia Hoffman; 2000
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