How Many Calories in Cabernet Sauvignon: Is it Diet-Friendly?

by Anthony Zhang

A standard 5 ounce serving of Cabernet Sauvignon wine has around 122 calories, which translates to about 610 calories in a 750 ml bottle.

The exact number of calories in Cabernet Sauvignon may vary based on the winemaking techniques used and the wine style.

However, most Cabernets are considered low-calorie wines, making them a great choice if you’re looking to reduce your wine calorie intake. Find out the calories and nutritional content of Cabernet Sauvignon wine and where these calories come from. Also, discover some other low-calorie wine options.

Calories in Cabernet Sauvignon and Other Nutrition Facts

A standard pour of Cabernet Sauvignon wine with 9%-15% ABV has around 80-130 calories.

Here’s the calorie content (per 5 oz glass) of some popular Cab Sauvs:

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA: 122
Stag’s Leap, Napa Valley, USA: 125
Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, USA: 130
Mind and Body, California, USA: 90
Klean Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA: 85

And here’s the nutritional value in a 5 ounce glass (147ml) of Cabernet Sauvignon:

Total carbohydrate: 3.8g
Dietary fiber: 0g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 0.1g
Sodium 0mg
Potassium: 0mg
Saturated fat: 0g

Now, let’s check out where these calories come from.

Where Do Calories in Cabernet Sauvignon Come From?

Alcohol and sugar are the two sources of calories in Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Here is how they affect the wine’s calorie count:

Sugar: During fermentation, the yeast feeds on the sugar from the grape juice and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The wine may have some leftover sugar (residual sugar) if the winemaker stops the fermentation before all the sugar is consumed by the yeast.

The residual sugar levels directly affect the wine’s sweetness, carb, and calorie count of the final wine. Each gram of sugar (carb) in the wine contains 4 calories.

Alcohol: Alcohol (also determined during the fermentation process) is another source of calories - each gram of pure alcohol has 7 calories.

Since alcohol calories are almost double that of sugar, sweeter, low alcohol Cabs may have fewer calories than dry wines with a high alcohol content (above 14% ABV.)

If you’re on a low-calorie diet, opt for a medium-bodied Cabernet with low sugar content and an AVB of around 9-12%.

Looking for more low calorie wines?

Other Low Calorie Wine Options You Can Drink

If you’re looking to cut down on your calorie intake, an alcoholic beverage with low sugar and alcohol content is the way to go.

Here are some interesting facts about wine calories:

A dry wine has fewer calories than sweet wine.
A glass of white wine usually has lower calories than red wine.
Dry sparkling wines like brut Champagne, have the least calories.

This means that a sparkler or even a dry white wine would make for excellent everyday drinking wine when you’re trying to limit your calorie intake.

Here are some of the best wine styles (with their average calorie count per 5 ounce glass) you can sip on if you’re on a weight loss diet plan:

Red wine:Pinot Noir (120), Pinot Grigio (122)

White wine:Chardonnay (120), Sauvignon Blanc (119), Chenin Blanc (120)

Sparkling wine: Brut Champagne (95), Prosecco (90)

Rose wine:Sangiovese (126), Syrah (122)

Note: If you’re on a diet, avoid fortified wine styles (such as Port wine) and dessert wine styles. They have higher sugar content and more calories than other wines, resulting in higher calorie count.

Savor A Delicious, Low-Calorie Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a sumptuous wine with rich fruit-forward and oak flavors. And with just about 122 calories in a 5 oz glass, it's an excellent everyday drinking wine for wine lovers who want to reduce their calorie intake.

Some of the finest Cabernet wines are also highly sought after by wine investors, thanks to their impressive aging potential.

To get an authentic Cabernet Sauvignon bottle, opt for a reliable wine investment platform like Vinovest that will help you buy, store and sell wines from the comfort of your home.