What is a Low Carb Wine?

The U.S regulatory body which oversees the labeling of wine, states that as of 2004 a low carb wine is one that contains fewer than 7 grams of carbohydrates in a 5-ounce glass. As data available from the U.S Department of Agriculture proves, this pertains to virtually all wines and wine based products. The department states that a 5-ounce glass of a typical dry red wine contains 102 calories and 2.41 grams of carbohydrates. Similarly, a typical glass of white wine offers 96 calories and as few as 1.13 grams of carbohydrates. The rule of thumb for the number of carbohydrates per wine is the lower the alcohol content the lower the number of carbohydrates.

There are, however, a number of wines that have notoriously high carbohydrate levels, and these include high-sugar, dessert wines such as White Zinfandels and those wines which are neither red nor white and are known in Europe as Rose wines and in the U.S as blush wines.

However, wine producers have started to cater to dieters and those people seeking ultra low carb wines. At the forefront of this low carb trend is the new wine range developed by a Louisville based company called Brown-Forman Wines. Their line of low carb wines contains bottles named One.6 Chardonnay and One.9 Merlot. As their names suggest, the former wine contains 1.6 grams of carbohydrate while the latter 1.9 grams per 5-ounce glass. The chardonnay boasts a blend of citrus fruits and melon and the Merlot is spicy with a soupcon of forest berries. The company is already looking to add to its low carb wine range and has in the offing a Cabernet Sauvignon which will contain just 1.9 grams of carbohydrate.

The Brown-Forman low carb wines are the product of a one million dollar research project that manipulates the wine fermentation process to cut-out all excess sugar. The process involves the selection of the most appropriate low carb grapes which are then relieved of all their extra sugar content by a process known as dry fermentation. The wine is then blended to maximize its flavor. A bottle of low carb wine retails at around ten dollars. However, it should be noted that for all these wines’ much advertised low carb content, their calorie content is much the same as a wine developed according to the regular fermentation process.