Which Wine is Healthiest? A Realist’s Guide to Drinking Well
Let’s be honest: the healthiest wine is no wine at all. But for those of us who still enjoy a glass now and then — and want to feel good about it — there are better options than others. Whether you’re training for a marathon, watching your sugar intake, or just trying to make more mindful choices, some wines align better than others.
The Honest Truth: No Alcohol is Healthiest
Before we dive into “healthy” wines, let’s start with the reality check: The healthiest wine is… *no wine at all.*
(Boo. Hiss.)
That’s not sensationalism — it’s the current global health consensus. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated plainly that, “when it comes to alcohol consumption there is no safe amount that does not affect health.” (who.int)
Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has clarified that drinking less — or not at all — is best for reducing long-term risks of heart disease, cancer, and liver conditions. (cdc.gov)
For years, many of us clung to the idea that moderate red wine consumption — particularly for its resveratrol content — might protect the heart. While that theory gained popularity in the early 2000s, more recent analyses and long-term studies have challenged those claims. In fact, a major study published in JAMA Network Open in 2023 found that even low levels of alcohol consumption are associated with increased risk of mortality, particularly from cancer.
What “Healthy” Wine Even Means
If we agree that “healthy wine” is a bit of a contradiction, the next logical step is to ask: What makes one wine a better choice than another, health-wise?
When people ask, “which wine is healthiest?” they’re usually not looking for an ideal — they’re looking for a wine that aligns with a healthier lifestyle or supports goals like reducing sugar, avoiding additives, or minimizing alcohol intake.
Key factors to consider when choosing a wine that fits a more health-conscious approach:
1. Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
The less alcohol in your glass, the less stress on your liver and long-term health. Wine can range from as low as 8% to as high as 16% ABV, with many conventional reds hovering around 14–15%. For a lighter touch, aim for wines in the 10–12.5% range. While the lower alcohol wines tend to be higher in sugar, many French reds will hover right in the 12.5% range.
2. Residual Sugar (RS)
Residual sugar is the grape sugar that remains after fermentation — and it varies dramatically by wine style. Unfortunately there isn’t usually anything on the label to indicate RS and most mass-market blends have added sugars to enhance “smoothness”.
Sparkling wines make it easier, with terms like Sec/Dry, Brut or Brut Nature, and No Dosage or Zero Dosage.
The Canadian LCBO requires grams per liter of total sugar to be listed on their website. I use them religiously when checking for a wine’s sugar content.
3. Additive Transparency
Many wines on grocery store / big box shelves contain additives for color, texture, or shelf stability — like MegaPurple, powdered tannins, or added sulfites. While these aren’t inherently toxic, some people are sensitive to additives, and others simply want to avoid them.
Natural, organic, and biodynamic wines tend to have fewer additives and more transparent winemaking processes, especially from small producers.
Natural: Vin Nature-certified in France, other countries have yet to certify, but the prevailing definition is organic farming, hand-harvest, fermentation with native yeast, and no chemical additions aside from low sulphur addition.
Organic: certified by a government agency, such as USDA Organic or EcoCert.
Biodynamic: a kind of “super-organic” based on the writings of Rudolph Steiner, certifiable only by the Demeter organization.
4. Farming Practices
Wines made from organically or biodynamically grown grapes tend to avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. For many health-conscious drinkers, this matters as much as alcohol or sugar content.
Look for certifications (like USDA Organic, Demeter, or Ecocert) or producer notes like “made from organic grapes”. Some of the cleanest wines aren’t certified but may be labeled or advertised as “low-intervention” or “minimalist” wines — you just have to dig a bit.
5. Grape and Style Considerations
Some grapes naturally carry more polyphenols (like resveratrol), with red wines generally higher than white. Pinot Noir, for instance, often tops the list for antioxidant content — especially when grown in cooler climates.
But don’t rely on resveratrol as a health panacea. You’d need to drink liters of wine a day (challenge accepted) to match levels used in clinical studies — and that would cancel out any benefit. (Damn.)
Pinot Noir and certain other lighter reds, however, tend to have lower alcohol, higher acidity (helps with digestion), and often see less manipulation (although this is not an endorsement of ANY grocery store Pinot). Look for Gamay, especially at the Cru Beaujolais level, in France’s Southern Burgundy region, Trousseau or Poulsard from the Jura region (across the Saône river from Burgundy), and Frappato from the island of Sicily. These grapes don’t need heavy oak, are often farmed organically, and are beloved by lower-intervention winemakers for their vibrancy and purity of flavor.
If you’re drinking whites, look for unoaked whites that are naturally crisp and fermented dry (no residual sugar): Albariño from Spain’s Rìas Baixas region along the Atlantic coast north of Portugal, Vermentino from Italy or Corsica, Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) from the Loire, or Grüner Veltliner from Austria or Sylvaner from Germany (or over the border into Alsace).
I’ll toss in an honorable mention for the “orange” wines of Italy, especially, where Ribolla Gialla (and occasionally Trebbiano or Malvasia) go through an extended maceration of their skins, are often made with native yeasts, and the added skin contact removes the need for added Sulfites (as natural SO2 is found in the skins)
For sparkling wines, look for “zero dosage” or “low dosage” (dosage is a step where sugar may be added to aid the secondary fermentation that produces bubbles in a methode champenoise sparkling wine). On a budget, Cava (🇪🇸) or Crémant (🇫🇷) from grower-producers using organic methods.
6. Shop Small(er)
Independent wine shops highlight small growers and are more likely to have tried the wines found on the shelves. Usually, tasting (and remembering) each wine on the shelf is an essential part of the job and you’ll find many independent wine shops staffed by industry experts.
Some importers are well known for their transparency and commitment to lower-intervention wines. Rosenthal Wine Merchant and Louis/Dressner have been around for literal generations. (There are many more, and I mention them often in my newsletter.)
Attend area wine tastings and any meet-the-winemaker style events you can. You can ask questions directly and get a better feel for which wineries share your values.
Don’t Get Hoodwinked by Clever Marketing
AVOID:
“Sugar-free” wine (when dry wine already is)
“Clean” wine (no regulation defines “clean” and many industrial wines may hide behind green- and wellness-washing)
“No Sulfites Added” as a Badge of Honor (Sulfites are naturally occuring in fermentation, and responsible use helps preserve freshness. Total absence can sometimes signal instability, not purity)
“Keto-Friendly” or “Fit Wine” (your wine label should not read like a diet plan)
A Quick Note on Calories
Alcohol is calorically dense, coming in at about 7 calories per gram (compared to carbohydrates or proteins at around 4 calories per gram). A typical 5-ounce glass (150ml) of dry wine contains approximately:
Dry White Wine (~12% ABV): 110–130 calories
Dry Red Wine (~13% ABV): 120–140 calories
Sparkling Wine (~12% ABV, Brut/Zero Dosage): 90–120 calories
Sweeter or Higher-Alcohol Wines (14%+ ABV): 140–160+ calories
If caloric intake is a concern, stick to dry wines around 12.5–13.5% ABV, moderate your pours, REMEMBER TO HYDRATE, and pair them with meals to promote mindful consumption.
Marketing thrives where knowledge is scarce. It’s easy to fall for promises of purity, health, or hangover-free bliss. It’s easy to see aesthetic before authenticity. Ask questions, seek stories, and remember that good wine never needs a gimmick.
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