Nothing is more enjoyable than that first sip of crisp, white wine. Whether enjoying your favorite glass of Rose at brunch or sipping canned Sauvignon Blanc on a picnic, you love the cool, refreshing taste of a good quality wine as it hits the back of your tongue and delivers a full range of citrusy flavor to your palate.
You also, however, love your low-carb lifestyle, and put in serious work to maintain a state of ketosis associated with it. As much as you love your wine, the last thing you want to do is move your body out of its ketosis at happy hour. Wine lovers, rejoice. There are now low-carb “keto-friendly” wines available to help you stay within your carb range and still enjoy your favorite date-night drink.
Are Regular Wines Keto-Friendly?
The short answer is, no. Almost all wines that are not specifically fermented to remove sugar (so we are talking about every wine not marketed for low carb diets) contain sugar and carbohydrates. While some wines (like dry whites) contain less carbohydrates than others, they do still contain a relatively high sugar content, especially for someone who is attempting to maintain a low carb lifestyle.
Wines contain carbohydrates because of the natural sugars they contain. Because all wine starts as a grape, it is full of natural sugar found in the fruit. The fermentation process of wine determines how much of that natural sugar remains, and how much is removed. If a wine ferments for a short period of time, the overall result will be a drier wine with less sugar and therefore less carbohydrates. If the wine ferments longer, the flavor will be sweeter and will contain more sugar and alas, more carbs.
Additionally, there is something to be said for the calorie content of non-low carbohydrate wines. If you are counting calories at all, you know that more carbohydrates usually equates to more calories.
Can Keto-Friendly Wines Taste Good?
One thousand percent yes! Some of our favorite wines are keto-friendly versions we have stumbled across or purchased quite by accident. What happens to a wine during the fermentation process is what determines how many carbohydrates it will have. Again, we are talking about the natural sugars that the wine contains before it is even fermented.
Some winemakers have begun fermenting their wine in a unique way that removes all sugar and leaves behind less than five carbohydrates per serving along with a taste that, quite frankly, surpasses all understanding. We aren’t really sure what kind of magic this is, but we are definitely for it.
Some of our favorite keto-friendly wines have just three carbohydrates per serving, zero grams of sugar (like not even the natural sugar), and only 100 calories per serving. Those are some seriously impressive numbers if you are living a low-carb lifestyle. It means you can enjoy wine with your friends without having to worry about increasing your carbohydrate intake or getting too much sugar. This can be a great way to keep weight off while still partaking in happy hours and other events where you would normally be limited to a seltzer or sparkling water.
While most wine is definitely not going to be found on a keto-approved beverage list, there are some winemakers who have made it their mission to cater to the keto crowd. These winemakers produce wines with zero sugar, less than five carbohydrates, and intense flavor. Having low carb wines makes it possible for individuals who are carb conscious or sugar conscious to still enjoy their favorite beverages. Keto friendly wines are available in a plethora of different types and styles including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Rose.