Yes, there are. In fact not only are there calories in wine, but there are calories in nearly every digestable piece of food and beverage that we consume. This is nothing to be feared however. If you are watching your weight, by all means, keep an eye out towards how much wine you are consuming. However you should not feel guilty to have a glass or two of wine each day with a meal or in the early evenings.

Traditionally there are 6 glasses of wine to a typical bottle. However in practice I have seen that in the past few years 5 glasses to a bottle is quite common. I prefer the 5 glasses to a bottle idea, not because I want to get more wine, but I find that my standard 2 glasses of wine fits well with the 5 glass per bottle model. If it were to be 6, then I would leave wanting more, and 3 glasses is a little more than I tend to want to consume in one sitting unless I am at home.

The amount of calories in a glass of wine can vary widely. However your standard reds, as well as most whites come in at about 80 or so calories per glass. Rice wines can actually be even less than this, but the 80 calories rule should certainly cover 70% or more of the wines you may encounter. Sherries tend to have quite a bit more calories than other wines due to the much higher sugar content. A quality Sherry will tend to have between 170-180 calories per glass. A Fortified Port wine can be even higher than this, perhaps up to 200 calories per glass.

Bottle of Wine

This may seem like alot at first glance. But if you compare it to much of the food we typically eat in our daily lives, its really not all that much. Consider that a 20ounce coke bottle from your average vending machine contains 250 calories. A Snickers bar comes in at about 280 calories. If you take a little time to look around at the foods you eat, a glass of wine or two may not look that bad after all!

Lets not forget the health benefits we get from drinking wines, especially the red wines. Not only do they help with digestion and enhance the flavors of our meals, but they provide a truckload of antioxidants and other nutrients to help us maintain our health. All in all, I would consider a couple of glasses of wine no problem at all. If you are really concerned about the calories, you may want to stay away from the dessert wines. You may also think about drinking your wine a bit earlier in the evenings to give your body more time to start processing the sugars before you begin sleeping. Consult your doctor or nutritionist if you have any questions that may be related to your health.