Fact: Wine consumption has increased 25% in the past decade. Additionally, alcohol contains many empty calories and can cause weight gain, poor fitness recovery, and long-term brain damage. It makes reasonable that our keto-obsessed, clean-eating, health-focused world wants healthier wine
FitVine, a "healthy" wine brand, promises to "crush life." Even the bottle has a runner. Is it healthier? FitVine wine review: how this "healthy" wine differs from "regular" wine.
Some wine education first: The residual sugar in wine derives from the fructose and glucose in wine grapes, says Lauren Cadillac, R.D. According to FitVine president Mark R. Warren, grape sugar increases with vine age. The fermentation process and wine type affect sugar content
Cadillac says "In some 'dry wines,' yeast will convert all the sugar into alcohol during winemaking." "In other wines, not all sugar is fermented, making them sweeter."
The FitVine wine is naturally low in sugar because "We pick our grapes a little early, and we ferment to dry (meaning there's no sugar left to ferment) from five to up to 15 days," adds Warren. He claims that huge wine companies may bottle wine in one to two days using chemicals.
Where the wine comes from usually determines residual sugar. "The bigger and more fruit-forward the wine, the more likely you have residual sugar," explains Wine School of Philadelphia founder Keith Wallace. Cooler climate wines usually have less residual sugar.
"According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a 5-ounce glass of red table wine usually contains around 0.9 grams of total sugar, while a glass of chardonnay contains about 1.4 grams," says Cadillac
The difference in sugar levels between Zinfandel and Moscato may seem large, but it's not usually. "How to buy low-carb wines and which ones to try"
You can't discuss sugar without calories. Cadillac claims "diet" wines have 15–30% fewer calories than regular wine. (FitVine wines contain 92–120 calories per glass; standard wines have 90–230.)
Instead, remember that life and drinking are about balance. Warren says "A glass of wine is a release from our hectic lives," which is FitVine's goal. "That's crucial because it reduces stress. To help people enjoy wine without feeling the affects for a few days." That's great!