The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that incorporates a good amount of protein, causing your body to enter a state of Ketosis that forces the body to burn fat, rather than carbohydrates. For ketosis to occur you need to seriously restrict the types of food and drink that can be consumed, but can you drink wine on a keto diet? Our guide explains how drinking wine might affect a keto diet, as well as looking into some of the best low carbohydrate wines available on the DrinkWell website.

Can I drink wine on a keto diet?

You'll be excited to learn that yes, you can drink wine on a keto diet. Wine is much lower in carbs than other types of alcohol such as beer, cider and pre-mixed drinks. However, the type of wine you choose is important for a keto diet. Dry wines, for example, contain far less carbs and sugar than sweet dessert wines As ever, moderation is key when drinking alcohol; drinking large amounts of wine regularly is not only going to affect your keto diet, but will also damage your overall health.

With an average of only 2g of carbohydrates per glass of a dry wine, you can enjoy a tipple fairly regularly without adversely affecting your keto diet.

What wines are keto friendly?

Dry wines tend to contain far less carbohydrates and sugars than other, sweeter wines, and can be keto-friendly when consumed in moderation. Some of the best wines for keto diets include:

  • Sauvignon Blanc (2.5g per 125ml)
  • Pinot Noir (2.9g per 125ml)
  • Chardonnay (2.7g per 125ml)
  • Dry champagne (0.8g per 125ml)

DrinkWell also stocks a range of zero carb wines perfect for a keto diet, such as Piattini Pinot Grigio, Rose 500 and Guillaume Aurele Viognier. Check out our Keto Wines page to view our full range.

Sweet dessert wines such as port are unsuitable for a keto diet, as they can contain up to around 20g of carbohydrates per glass. Similarly, full-bodied red wines are equally unsuitable due to a high carb content. This includes varieties such as Malbec, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel, and can contain around 5-6g of carbohydrates per glass.

Whilst many wine labels don't explicitly state their carbohydrate content, there are a few indicators you can look out for on a keto diet. Avoid terms such as dessert wine, fortified wine, late-harvest, doux, and ice wine.

Which wines have the least carbohydrates?

In general, dry wines have the lowest carbohydrate content, usually containing only 1-2 grams per drink, making them a perfect wine for keto diets. This is due to the fact that dry wines are fermented for longer, converting more of the grape's sugars into alcohol. In fact, some dry wines are fermented until all of their sugars are converted into alcohol, resulting in a wine that contains no residual sugar and zero carbs.

On the other hand, sweet wines and dessert wines have a higher carb content, such as ports, madeiras, sauternes, and most sherries. This is because the fermentation process is stopped early, leaving more residual sugar in the wine. In some cases winemakers even add sugar to the wine to create a sweeter wine. Avoid sweet or dessert wines if you're on a keto diet.

Sparkling wines can vary widely in carbohydrate content depending on whether they are dry or sweet - opt for dry varieties such as Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Nature over sweeter varieties such as Demi-sec and Doux if you're looking to avoid carbohydrates . You can find a handy comparison table of the average carb content of popular wines here.

Does alcohol stop ketosis?

Alcohol in itself can cause ketosis to slow down. This is because alcohol can not be stored in the body like carbohydrates, protein and fat can. When alcohol enters your body, your regular metabolism essentially stops until the alcohol has broken down. This means that, if you follow a keto diet, your body will temporarily stop metabolising fat to focus on metabolising the alcohol in your body.

You can minimise the impact of this by opting for a low carb alcohol such as dry wine. By choosing one of the many keto wine options available at DrinkWell, you can reduce the effect that alcohol has on ketosis, whilst still enjoying great tasting wine.

How to tell if a wine is suitable for a keto diet

When following a keto diet, you will become well accustomed to checking the nutritional label on everything you consume to make sure that it is appropriate for your diet. However, you've probably noticed that such information isn't as readily available on alcohol bottles. Without nutritional information, it can be very difficult to tell how many carbs are in a bottle of wine, and whether or not it's suitable for your keto diet.

This is where DrinkWell comes in. We recognise the difficulties caused by lack of nutritional information provided on wine bottles, so we go the extra mile to provide our customers with all of the information they need to ensure that their choices are suitable for their diet. Every bottle of wine we offer on our website states their carbohydrate and calorie content, as well as other useful information such as whether it is gluten free, and if it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Best wines for a keto diet available from DrinkWell

DrinkWell offers a variety of no and low carbohydrate alternatives, with a couple of sparkling wine options. Try our Vilarnau Sparkling Brut Rose, containing just 3.7g of carbohydrates, 28 calories and zero alcohol per 125ml.

We also stock the largest selection of keto-friendly wines in the UK. Choose from a wide range of red wines, white wines, rose wines and sparkling wines, all with low carbohydrates and ideal for a keto diet. If you're not sure what you're looking for, try our Discovery Case, containing 6 delicious low-carbohydrate, keto-friendly wines.

 Our bestselling keto wines

Woolloomooloo Pinot Grigio - 0.19g carbohydrates, 84 calories per 125ml

Fun to say and even more fun to drink with only 0.19g of carbs per glass. Woolloomooloo is a great option for those on a keto diet and features aromas of citrus blossom, lime and grapefruit. Woolloomooloo has a classic crisp Pinot Grigio flavour of green apple and pear with notes of tropical fruits.

Dudley's Stone Cabernet Merlot - 0.37g carbohydrates, 98 calories per 125ml

Named for a South African diamond belonging to the Earl of Dudley, this merlot has notes of blackcurrant, redcurrant and cherries with a medium body. Unlike most red wines, Dudley's Stone is a great wine for keto diets with only 0.37g carbohydrates and 98 calories per 125ml.

Slimline Sparkling White Wine - 0g carbohydrates, 75 calories per 125ml

One of our zero carb wines, Slimline Sparkling White Wine allows you to live healthier without compromising on quality. Slimline is a pure blend of Chardonnay and Pinot with a crisp flavour and is the ideal sparkling wine for keto diets.

Dimarine Provence Rose - 0.11g carbohydrates, 81 calories per 125ml

Whilst Rose wines are usually keto-friendly, Dimarine Provence Rose has only 0.11g carbohydrates per glass, making it a great choice for those on keto diets. It has a tangy palate and fresh citrus aromas with a dry finish.

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