How many WW points is a glass of wine? Did you know that wine is the second most-tracked beverage on the Weight Watchers app? (behind coffee)
While an occasional glass of red or white wine is OK, don’t drink more than one glass per day, as the points from drinking too much wine can throw a wrench into your weight loss plans. (Does drinking wine make you fat?)
WW Points in Wine: White Wine | Red Wine
What is a “Glass” of Wine?
First, let’s talk about how many ounces are in a glass of wine. A “glass” of wine is defined as either 4 or 5 ounces, although the occasional heavy-handed bartender will pour up to 6 ounces.
If you are pouring your own wine, know that a standard 750 ml. bottle of wine will yield six 4-ounce glasses or five 5-ounce glasses. If you’re getting fewer than five glasses out of a bottle, you’re over-pouring. (But, I like your enthusiasm!)
Here’s the Weight Watchers points for a 4 oz. Glass of Wine:
WW Points Per Glass of WHITE Wine:
A 4 oz. glass of dry white wine has 4 WW Points.
Dry white wine varietals include Pino Grigio, Chardonnay, and White Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. A larger, 5 oz glass of white wine or very sweet dessert wine has 5 WW points.
*A glass of dry Champagne also has 4 points
WW Points Per Glass of RED Wine:
A 4 oz. glass of dry red wine has 4 points.
Dry red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Malbec, and Zinfandel. A very sweet red wine such as Port has 5 points.
Tip: Wine Contains 1 Point Per Ounce!
So, you should assume that a 4 oz. glass of wine is worth 4 points, while a 5 oz. glass is worth 5 points.
Although Red wine has slightly more calories, it’s interesting that there isn’t a wide range for each varietal (fancy word for “type”) of wine. Besides exceptionally heavy or sweet wines, they all work out to be one Weight Watchers point per ounce.
Tip: To make wine last longer, store the bottle sideways!
That means that a 750 ml. bottle of wine contains about 25 WW points and 600 calories, although don’t even think about it! You’ll get a nasty hangover and need a lot of hours on the treadmill (and, hopefully, no hours in the E.R.!) to make up for that!
WW Points Wine Hack:
Let’s talk about how Weight Watchers recently rolled out their own brand of wine called, “Cense.” It’s a lot like regular wine, but a bit lower in Weight Watchers points. Actually, it’s one fewer WW point per glass. It also has only about 85 calories per 5 oz. glass compared to an average of 120 calories per glass for most wine.
So, what’s their secret? At 9.6% ABV (alcohol by volume) he wine has a lower alcohol content than standard wine. However, this Weight Watchers-friendly wine is also about $14 per bottle. Not bad, but after reading reviews I have no reason to think that this wine tastes better than the $9 bottles of wine I usually buy.
So, for that reason (and the fact that I have low standards) I say why not go ahead and buy the cheaper wine at the liquor store and do one of the following hack:
- Pour yourself a 4 ounce glass of wine instead of 5 ounce (You can measure it; 4 oz. is 1/2 cup)
- Drop an ice cube into the glass and chill out!
What kind of rube drops an ice cube in wine, you ask? Well, one like myself who is married, over 40, and not trying to impress anyone. I like an ice cube in a glass of wine during the Summer, and after the 1 ounce ice cube melts it leaves the wine at a cool temperature with 20% lower ABV, and a couple more sips for me!
It achieves this magic, all while saving you about $5 per bottle compared to the “low-calorie wine” which always costs more. (Why does it cost more when they give me fewer calories!)
Related: Weight Watchers Points in Pizza?
Tip: Mind What You Eat While Drinking Wine
Ok, 5 points per glass of wine isn’t bad, right? Want to know the snaky way that drinking wine can blow up your Weight Watchers points? It’s the food you eat while drinking. In fact, studies show that drinking alcohol makes us hungry, and gives us the wine munchies.
*Related: Estimate points with our WW points calculator
That means that although a glass of wine only has 5 WW points, the dinner roll you picked up and ate has 4 points. And, those pretzels you snacked on have 4 points per ounce! (9 pretzels) Ouch! Plus, if you have a glass of wine before or during dinner, you’ll probably eat more.
Weight Watchers Points in Wine
- White wine has about 4 points per glass
- Red wine has about 5 points per glass
- Choose lighter, dry wines with an ABV (Alcohol) under 12%
- For 1 fewer point per glass, pour a 4 oz. serving (not 5 oz.)
- Be mindful of what you snack on while you drink!
Related: 10 Wine Hacks Every Woman Should Know – Cosmopolitan.com