The Calorie Content of Wine
History
The calorie content of wine varies because it has been around for thousands of years and has been modified countless times. It has been a vital component of different cultures’ religious and celebratory events for a very long time it has also been used by almost all nations throughout time.
The golden era of wine started during the time of Classical Greece and Rome. It was also during the Roman Empire’s reign when many grape varieties and cultivation techniques were discovered.
Since wine was very famous during the Roman Empire’s reign and they conquered many nations, the culture and techniques used to make wine varied with the environment and culture of these countries, creating the different types of wine that we still enjoy today.
Nutritional benefits
The health benefits of wine have been discovered thousands of years ago. It was recognized as a healthy food since the time of Hippocrates because it was considered to be good for digestion and is a natural sedative that reduces tension and helps the body relax.
Hippocrates used specific kinds of wine to treat fever and use it for disinfectants, diuretics and nutritional supplements. They also discovered that the acids found in wine have been proven to kill or inhibit diseases.
It was also considered as a daily recommended food because it has substances that help digestion and has some vitamins and minerals vital to the human body. It was also used to increase appetite and was also known to be used to restore nutritional balance.
Due to the different cultures and techniques to make wine, there have been many factors that affect the calorie content of wine like sugar content, alcohol content, grape variety, climate, vintage and style.
The nutritional components of wine
Wine, although it contains no fat, it still has a significant amount of calories due to its sugar and alcohol content. The number of calories per glass of wine depends on grape variety, climate, vintage and style, which affects the amount of alcohol and sugar in the wine.
Since there are literally hundreds of wines available in the market with their own alcohol and sugar content a rough guide for an average 150ml serving contains around 100-120 calories.
Keep in mind that sweeter wines have higher calories because of sugar content. Higher alcohol content also increases the calorie content of wine significantly.