How much sugar is in wine?

Does wine contain sugar? Are all fruity wines sweet? How to know how much sugar the wine you are drinking contains? A lot of people query that, and they are right to do so. Wine is made from grapes, which are very rich in sugar, but not all wines contain the same amount of sugar. We are going to take a look at how much sugar is in wine according to the type of wine, how this affects calories, and the clues you can find on the label to choose the best wine to suit you. So let's take a look!

Types of wine and sugar content

The sugar contained in wine is mainly from the grapes. According to the basic principles of wine-making, during the fermentation process the yeast turns those sugars (above all glucose and fructose) into alcohol. When fermentation is complete, the wine is dry. However, if it is interrupted before it finishes, some residual sugar is left over.

Therefore, when we talk about types of wine according to sweetness, the key is in knowing how much residual sugar remains in the wine once the wine-making process has finished.

Still wine (red, white and rosé)

In the so called “still wines” (i.e. those without gas such as reds, whites and rosés), the sweetness does not depend on the type of grape variety or the colour of the wine, but rather, as mentioned previously, the amount of residual sugar remaining after fermentation. Depending on that content, wine can be officially classified as dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet, depending on the grams of sugar per litre.

• Dry wine: less than 5 grams of sugar per litre.
• Semi-dry wine: between 5 and 30 grams of sugar per litre.
• Semi-sweet wine: between 30 and 50 grams of sugar per litre.
• Sweet wine: more than 50 grams of sugar per litre.

Although dry wine can contain up to 5 grams of sugar per litre, perceiving sweetness usually starts from 1.5 g/l, even within this category.

Sparkling wine

The sugar in sparkling wine is adjusted at the end of the wine-making process, after getting rid of the yeast remains. It is done by adding a small amount of wine with sugar, known as “tirage liqueur”. The decision on how much to add depends on whether the wine is to be “brut nature”, “brut”, “dry” or “sweet”.

• Brut nature: up to 3 g/l (without added sugar).
• Extra brut: up to 6 g/l.
• Brut: up to 12 g/l.
• Extra dry: between 12 and 17 g/l.
• Dry: between 17 and 32 g/l.
• Semi-dry: between 32 and 50 g/l.
• Sweet: over 50 g/l.

Brut nature and extra brut are clearly perceived as dry. Sweetness is more obvious after extra dry on this scale. 

Dry, semi-dry or sweet wine: How much sugar do they contain?

When we ask how much sugar is in wine, it is worth differentiating between the perceived taste of sweetness and the actual sugar content. Wine may be fruity but still be dry, because sweetness is a taste rather than a flavour.

As a rough guide:

• Dry wine contains between 0 and 5 grams of sugar per litre.
• We start to notice sweetness in semi-dry wine.
• Sweet wines are designed for specific moments and have a high amount of sugar, resulting from specific wine-making techniques.

This is valid whether we are talking about sugar content in red wine or sugar content in white wine. The colour of the wine makes no difference to its sweetness, but rather the wine-making style and process.

How many calories does wine have according to sugar content?

The residual sugar contained in wine contains calories, but it is not the only factor. Alcohol in all wines is where most of the calories are found. Therefore, although a dry wine has a lower sugar content, it still has calories because of its alcohol content.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

• One glass of red table wine (148 ml) contains approximately 0.9 g of sugar.
• One glass of Chardonnay type white wine contains around 1.4 g of sugar.
• A small glass of sweet wine (60-90 ml) can contain up to 7 g of sugar.

In general terms, most dry wine on the market contains less than 5 g of sugar per litre, and therefore the calories from sugar are low compared to the calories from alcohol. 

How to identify the amount of sugar from the bottle label

Unlike other foods, wineries did not have to state the exact sugar content on the label, and therefore most bottles only stated “dry” or “sweet”. However, not long ago European Union regulations required nutritional information and the ingredients to be printed on the label, which means we can now know how much sugar is in the wine.

Even so, before reading the numbers there are some clear clues that will guide us on the type of wine:

• Terms such as “dry”, “semi-dry”, “sweet”, “brut” or “extra brut” are a rough indication of the amount of sugar content.
• In sparkling wines, the classification (“brut nature”, “extra brut”, etc.) is particularly reliable.
• In sweet, fortified or liqueur wines, the wine-making process also gives us an idea about their sweetness.

The best low-sugar wines

If you are looking for wine with a low sugar content, try:

• Dry wines: particularly those that have undergone complete fermentation.
• Sparkling brut or extra brut. 
• Young or crianza red wine without residual sugar.

Remember: wine can be tasty, fruity and very pleasant without being sweet. Understanding the style will help you choose better and enjoy wine without any nasty surprises. All told, being able to choose the right wine is not just a matter of taste, but also information.