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r Wine
Nutritional Profile*
Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate
Protein: Low
Fat: None
Saturated fat: None
Cholesterol: None
Carbohydrates: Low
Fiber: None
Sodium: Low
Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins
Major mineral contribution: PotassiumAbout the Nutrients in This Food
Wine is a beverage produced by yeasts that digest the sugars in fruits and
turn them into alcohol. Grapes are particularly well suited in winemaking
because they are sweet enough to produce a beverage that is at least 10
percent alcohol and acid enough to encourage the growth of the friendly
yeasts while discouraging the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
Wines contain carbohydrates, a trace of protein, and small amounts
of vitamins and minerals but no fats. Unlike food, which has to be
metabolized before your body can use it for energy, the alcohol in wine
can be absorbed into the bloodstream directly from the gastrointestinal
tract. Ethyl alcohol (the alcohol in alcohol beverages) provides seven
calories per gram.
Querceitin and querceitrin, the pale yellow pigments that make
white wine “white,” turn browner as they age. The darker the wine, the
older it is. Red wine’s ruby color comes from red anthocyanin pigments in
red grape skins. As red wines age, their red pigments react with tannins in
the wine and turn brown.
The USDA/Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Amer-
icans defines one drink as 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.25
ounces of distilled spirits. One five-ounce glass of wine has 106 calories,
96 of them (91 percent) from alcohol. But the beverage is more than empty Values are for table wines.