By the Grappi team · Updated November 2026 · 5 min read
A standard 5-ounce (148 ml) glass of dry white wine has roughly 115 to 125 calories, almost all of it from alcohol rather than sugar. That puts white wine within a few calories of red at the same strength, and means a higher-alcohol or sweeter white climbs higher. Here is how white wine compares by type, and a few easy ways to pour fewer calories without giving up the glass.
How many calories are in a glass of white wine?
Figure on about 120 calories for a standard 5-ounce pour of dry white. Based on USDA data, most dry whites land between 115 and 125 calories, and the number rises with alcohol: a crisp 11% white sits at the bottom of the range, a ripe 14% white at the top.
As with red, alcohol is the driver. Alcohol carries about 7 calories per gram, close to fat, so a wine's strength matters more than its colour or grape.
Calories in white wine by type
White wine
Per 5 oz glass
Per 750 ml bottle
Brut sparkling (Prosecco, Champagne)
~90 to 100 cal
~480 cal
Sauvignon Blanc
~120 cal
~600 cal
Pinot Grigio
~120 cal
~600 cal
Chardonnay (dry)
~120 to 125 cal
~625 cal
Riesling (off-dry)
~125 to 150 cal
~700 cal
Moscato (sweet)
~125 to 170 cal
~800 cal
Figures are approximate and rise with alcohol and sweetness. A large 9-ounce restaurant pour of Chardonnay is closer to 220 calories than 120.
Pour size is the real variable: a large 9-ounce restaurant pour is closer to 220 calories than the 120 in a standard glass.
Does white wine have fewer calories than red?
Only just. At the same alcohol level, dry white and dry red sit within a handful of calories, both near 120 per glass. If you want fewer calories, the lever is the alcohol percentage on the label, not the colour in the glass. For the red side of the story, see our guide to calories in a bottle of red wine.
At the same alcohol level, white and red are within a few calories, so the lever is strength, not colour.
Is white wine high in sugar?
A dry white is not: it has about 1 to 2 grams of sugar per glass, because fermentation turns the grape sugar into alcohol. The exceptions are sweet styles like Moscato and off-dry Riesling, which keep more sugar and more calories. See our guide to low sugar wine for the driest picks.
Budget about 120 calories a glass: a smaller pour and a lower-alcohol wine do more than switching colour.
A standard 5-ounce (148 ml) glass of dry white wine has about 115 to 125 calories. Most of it is alcohol, so a higher-alcohol white sits at the top of that range and a generous pour pushes it higher.
Does white wine have fewer calories than red?
Barely. At the same alcohol level, dry white and dry red are within a few calories of each other, both around 120 per glass. Alcohol content, not colour, decides the number.
Which white wine has the fewest calories?
Light, lower-alcohol dry whites and Brut sparkling are lowest, often 90 to 110 calories a glass. Sweet whites like Moscato are the highest.
How many calories are in a bottle of white wine?
About 600 calories for a dry white, since a 750 ml bottle holds roughly five glasses. Sweet whites run noticeably higher.
Is white wine fattening?
Not in small amounts, but the calories add up. A bottle is about 600 calories, similar to a large slice of cake. Portion size is what matters most.
How many calories are in a glass of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc?
All land around 120 to 125 calories per 5-ounce glass when dry, with the exact figure tracking the alcohol level rather than the grape.
Does white wine have a lot of sugar?
A dry white has only 1 to 2 grams of sugar per glass, and the calories come from alcohol, not sugar. Sweet whites carry much more sugar and more calories.
How can I drink white wine with fewer calories?
Pour a smaller glass, choose a lower-alcohol wine or a Brut sparkling, alternate with water, or make a spritzer with soda water, which roughly halves the calories per drink.
How many calories are in a glass of Prosecco?
About 90 to 100 calories for a Brut Prosecco, usually lower than a still white because sparkling wine tends to be lower in alcohol.
Which is better for weight loss, red or white wine?
Neither wins on colour. Pick a lower-alcohol, dry wine of either colour and keep an eye on the pour size, which does more than switching red for white.
