Rosé wine

A glass of rosé wine might have more alcohol and calories in it than you would expect.

A typical-strength medium (175ml) glass of rosé wine has around 2.1 units of alcohol.¹ So, over a week, drinking more than six glasses of rosé wine would put you above the UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMOs’) low risk drinking guidelines of drinking no more than 14 units a week.²

Sticking within the low risk drinking guidelines has clear benefits for your long-term health. It could lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of long-term health problems including seven types of cancer, liver and heart disease.³

Cutting down on how much you drink can benefit your waistline too. Alcohol contains around seven calories a gram – almost as many as a gram of fat.⁴

How much alcohol is in rosé wine?

It’s easy to see how much alcohol is in any rosé wine – just look for the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) which you’ll find on the label, or ask at the bar.

The ABV tells you what percentage of the rosé wine is pure alcohol. For example, a 13% ABV rosé wine contains 13% pure alcohol.⁵

Rosé wine’s typical strength means drinking three medium (175ml) glasses in one session could mean you’re consuming nearly six and a half units of alcohol,⁶ so could be classed as binge drinking (more than six units of alcohol for a woman or eight for a man).⁷

Research shows that binge drinking (between 5-7 units) increases your risk of accidents and injuries by two to five times.⁸

How many calories are in rosé wine?

All alcohol – including the alcohol found in rosé wines like Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel or any other type – is made from natural starch and sugar. There are around 130 calories in a typical 175ml glass of rosé wine⁹ – more than you would find in a bag of ready salted crisps.¹⁰ That means that, over time, drinking too much can lead to weight gain and start to affect your appearance.¹¹

For example, alcohol dehydrates your body including the skin. When you drink, the dehydrating (or ‘diuretic’) effect of alcohol means your skin loses fluid and nutrients that are vital for healthy looking skin. This can make your skin look wrinkled, dull and grey, or bloated and puffy.^12,13,14

Alcohol lacks most essential nutrients and vitamins so if alcohol is providing most of the calories in your diet, then there is a risk of nutritional deficiencies.¹⁵

An easy way to cut your calorie intake from rosé wine is to choose an alcohol-free alternative, a lower strength wine or, if you’re having more than one glass, alternating between rosé and water. But, if choosing an alcohol-free or lower strength rosé wine, make sure to check the label and that it’s lower in calories than a standard wine.

The calories people consume through alcohol tend to be additional to the calories they consume in the rest of their diet, rather than a replacement. That means you could be having lots of extra calories ‘passively’, or without thinking about it, which can lead to weight gain.¹⁶

Based on result from Nutracheck calorie checker, using the search term ‘rosé wine’.¹⁷

Does rosé wine have more alcohol or calories than other types of wine?

Different types of wine – whether red, white, rosé or sparkling (like prosecco or champagne) – can vary a lot. They are typically around 11-14% ABV, although some can be as high as 14.5% ABV. The only way to be sure is to check the label.

Choosing a lower strength wine can be a great way to cut out unnecessary alcohol and calories. And there are more ‘reduced alcohol’ wines available than ever before, in supermarkets and pubs. A ‘reduced alcohol’ rosé could be around 5.5% ABV (remember to check the label) – so would cut your alcohol consumption in half compared to an equivalent size glass of full-strength wine.

Even better for reducing your alcohol intake would be a ‘low alcohol’ rosé wine. These aren’t allowed to be more than 1.2% ABV, and many are around 0.5% ABV.

To work out the number of alcohol units and calories you consume, use our Unit and Calorie Calculator below.