Low carb and low sugar wines are often difficult to find in the non alcoholic world.
A lot of the time, non alcoholic can mean overly sweet in an attempt to get flavour and mouthfeel that the alcohol would have provided.
But not all non alcoholic wines are so high in carbs, some are actually impressively low in carbs so the question is…
What is the lowest carb non alcoholic wine?
What is the lowest carb non alcoholic wine?
The lowest carb non alcoholic wine is Absolute Zero Dry. It has only 1.1g or carbs per 100ml. It is sparkling dealcoholised Chardonnay from South Africa. No other non alcoholic wines come close to having as few carbs and sugar with the nearest being Two Hoots Non Alcoholic Rose with twice the amount of carbs at 2.2g per 100ml.
In this article i will review just how low Absolute Zero Dry is in carbs and a bit of background about carbs and sugar in wine in general.
Why is there carbs in wine, what are they?
Carbs in wine are usually almost entirely in the form of sugar. All sugars are carbs but not all carbs are sugars.
Grapes are naturally high and sugar and when they are fermented, much of the sugar is converted into alcohol by the yeasts. However not all of it is.
There is a residual sugar amount left over which adds to the sweetness and flavour of the wine.
Some wines are supposed to be naturally sweeter than others and even within a particular style of wine there can be a range from dry to sweet, such as in the sparkling wines like Champagne.
Is non alcoholic wine higher in carbs than alcoholic wine?
In general, non alcoholic wines have a higher carb count that alcoholic wines. Less sugar has been turned into alcohol (before it is removed) meaning more sugar and carbs are left in the wine and flavour, body and mouthfeel.
How many carbs are in alcoholic wine?
Trying to generalise across all the wine varieties is very difficult but a ball park figure would be something like 3g of carbs per 100ml.
How many carbs in non alcoholic wine?
From all the non alcoholic wines i have reviewed, which includes sparkling, red, white and rose, the average carbs per 100ml is 6g.
This means that on average, a non alcoholic wine will have twice the carbs that an alcoholic wine will have. This is something to consider if you are on a low carb diet or cutting carbs is important to you.
How does Absolute Zero Dry compare?
At just 1.1g of carbs per 100ml you can see that Absolute Zero Dry has about 18% the carbs of the average non alcoholic wine and 36% the carbs of the average alcoholic wine.
In anyones books that is a tremendous saving and for anyone watching their waistline and carb intake, this is mana from wine heaven.
The 5 lowest carb non alcoholic wines
If Absolute Zero Dry is the lowest carb non alcoholic wine out there, then what else is potentially nearly as good. What are they top 5 lowest carbs non alcoholic wines you can buy?
Absolute Zero Dry 1.1g/100ml
So coming in at number one as we have already seen is their South African chart topper. 1.1g per 100ml is hard to believe and it is a brilliant achievement to have made a wine like this. Hats off to Absolute Zero.
Two Hoots Non Alcoholic Rose 2.1g/100ml
Apart from losing the top spot, the Aussies absolutely boss the low carb non alcoholic wine world. They have taken the non alcoholic wine bull by the horns and lead the world.
This Two Hoots rose comes in at 2.2g of carbs per 100ml. Despite having twice the carbs of Absolute Zero Dry, this still takes second spot. It shows just how low 1.1g per 100ml really is.
The other thing that makes this so impressive is that in general, rose wines are sweeter, higher in sugar and therefore higher in carbs. To produce a tasty one as low carbs as this is quite the achievement.
Giesen Sauvignon Blanc 2.5g/100ml
Another Aussie comes in at number 3, Giesen is a big name in the Marlborough area and with their zero Sauvignon Blanc they have produced a very low carb wine.
They are helped slightly by southern hemisphere sauvignon blanc grapes being reasonably dry (low sugar) but there is still plenty of work to do to make a great wine which is also very low in carbs.
Tread Softly Everything Except Pinot Grigio 2.7g/100ml
No prizes for guessing where the 4th lowest carb non alcoholic wine comes from, that’s right, Australia. This time is hails from the Victoria and South Australian vineyards.
Pinot Grigio is one of the driest grapes about so that certainly helps keep the sugar and carbs to a minimum.
The added selling point or USP of this brand is their vegan stature and that they are committed to a carbon neutral product. They even plant a native Australian tree for every case sold!
Newblood Chardonnay 3g/100ml
Rounding out the top 5 is once again, an Australian non alcoholic white wine. Chardonnay isn’t the driest wine but it isnt the most sugar laden grape out there.
Newblood is a triple distilled and alcohol removed wine with a vibrant bouquet of citrus blossom and honeysuckle. What’s not to like?
