Wine with Leslie: Skipping Dry January? Try these lower-calorie wines instead
Pic: iStock
If you are reading this I am guessing you are not doing dry January either.
Obviously I can’t abstain from alcohol for work reasons which I consider a brilliant excuse.
However I also think January is the dumbest month possible to avoid alcohol given the dark evenings and our general low mood following the joys of December.
Why not do give up alcohol in July when the weather is warm and you can make fresh lemonade or delicious fruit juices?
Also don’t get me started on Veganuary, only a masochist would give up meat in the one month of the year when the only fresh locally grown vegetables you can find are Brussels sprouts and turnips.
Don’t get me wrong – I like these vegetables but if I’m giving up meat I’m doing it in June or July when fresh peas and new potatoes are in season. And no, I’m certainly not going to pollute my body with highly processed meat substitutes.
One good reason to give up alcohol is of course for the calories, and this I understand.
The average glass of standard wine contains around 90 calories, similar to a glass of Coke.
To figure out the calories in a bottle you should multiply the ABV by 40.95. The only way to cut calories and drink wine is to go with lower ABV wines as recommend below.
Hence a bottle with 11% ABV will have 450 calories from the alcohol and one with 8.5% ABV 348.
The Traces wine below has 78 calories per glass assuming you have a 125ml glass: it contains no sugar.
The Dr. Loosen Riesling has 43g of sugar per litre which sounds like a lot, but this adds just an extra 129 calories which makes it similarly calorific.
The GuiGas Vinho Verde has the lowest calories per glass at around 70.
A blend of Arinto, Loureiro and Trajadura (all quality grapes) this is vibrant and fresh with just a hint of spritz.
Vinho Verde is the most northerly region of Portugal but also now a style of wine low in alcohol and often with a touch of fizz.
This is a classic example – lemony, zingy and refreshing.
Dr. Loosen wines are brilliantly made in the classic Mosel style which includes some sweetness but also balancing acidity.
Serve it well chilled (note that the sugar adds around 120 calories to the bottle).
Tropical fruit and baked lemon aromas, fruity and found with sweet pear fruits balanced by zingy green apple acidity on the finish.
Traces launched last year and is calling itself a ‘lifestyle brand’.
Normally I’d run a mile from that description but the wines are actually fairly solid.
The front label promises 78 calories per glass and zero sugar.
Juicy red fruit aromas that follow through on the palate, bright and lively.
There is also a rosé and a Sauvignon Blanc.
Fierce Mild Extra Pale Ale, <0.5% ABV €3
This is by far the best non-alcoholic beer I’ve found, brewed in Co. Louth by two brothers-in-law from their own grain and using a special yeast and good quality hops (Centennial, Strata and Galaxy).
Bright floral aromas with a malty background and a touch of tropical fruits, crisp and fresh with some hop bitterness on the finish.
