The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods according to their effect on your blood glucose levels. Because red wine contains alcohol and carbohydrates, it is included in the glycemic index. Although sweet red wine contains a higher amount of alcohol and sugar, it is not yet ranked.
Glycemic Index
According to GlycemicIndex.com, "the glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from zero to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels." Low GI foods produce only a gradual increase in blood sugar and insulin levels.
Dry Red Wine
Red wine comes from the fermented juice of red or black grapes. The alcohol produced through fermentation has about 7 calories per gram. Dry red wine is about 14 percent alcohol, depending upon the type of grape used to produce it. On average, each ounce of red wine contains 25 calories, 3.1 g alcohol, 0.18 g carbohydrates and some trace minerals. It contains no fat, protein, fiber or caffeine. The standard portion size of dry red wine is 4 oz. and contains around 100 calories.
Sweet Red Wine
AllAboutRedWine.com defines sweet red wine as wine with a high amount of residual sugar. Dessert wines, ice wines and late harvest red wines are some examples. Because the grapes for the sweet red wines are picked later in the harvest season to preserve the residual sugars, these wines taste sweeter and, with a higher alcoholic content, are more potent than table wines. The standard 3 oz. serving of sweet dessert wine contains, on average, 130 calories, 10 g carbohydrates, of which 8 g are sugar, and 18 percent alcohol.
Glycemic Index of Red Table Wine
The fermentation process of wine always leaves a small amount of residual sugar. Although red wine contains calories--about 100 for the standard 4 oz. serving--it has almost no digestible carbohydrates and therefore has no significant effect on your blood sugar levels. The glycemic index of red wine is zero.
Glycemic Index of Sweet Red Wine
Sweet red wines have not been ranked on the glycemic index scale. Although red table wine has a glycemic index of zero, it is important to remember that the sweet wines have more residual sugar, a higher carbohydrate content, more calories and a greater percentage of alcohol per ounce than the dry red table wines.
