With the keto diet growing ever more popular, you and your buddies may be considering jumping in on keto, or already have! Does that mean you have to forgo all the things you enjoyed eating and drinking?
The good news is that there are plenty of ketogenic foods and drink alternatives you could switch to that provide the same satisfying feeling. When it comes to alcohol, there is a selection of tasty, award-winning wines you can be toasting to while still maintaining a ketogenic diet.
As a wine enthusiast, you could already be wondering whether wine is keto friendly. The answer is, it’s a little blurry; some red and white wines can be enjoyed while following a keto diet as long as you are conscious of the carbs and sugar content, most wines, however, aren’t so keto friendly. This post outlines some considerations for consuming white wine while subscribing to the ketogenic diet. But first, what is a keto diet?
What is Keto?
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that is designed with the goal of putting the body into the state of ketosis. The keto diet focuses on consuming wholesome fats, moderate amounts of protein, and very few carbohydrates.
What Would Make a White Wine Keto Friendly?
When finding a white wine that is keto friendly, it is important to pay attention to the label and look for wines that are lower in carbs and sugar. Generally, dry wines are the best option, since they tend to have fewer carbs than sweet wines. It’s good to be aware that the alcohol content of a wine can vary, so it is important to look for wines that are lower in alcohol.
Wines that are suitable for the ketogenic diet are those with a moderate amount of alcohol (at most 13.5% ABV) and very little residual sugar. There are 108 calories per serving (all from alcohol) and 0g of carbs in such a dry wine.
3 Keto Friendly White Wines
It is important to note that some wines have added sugar, so it is important to check the label for the carbohydrate content. Generally, the drier the wine, the lower the carbohydrate content. In addition to dry wines, there are also some sparkling wines, such as Prosecco, that are low in carbohydrates and can also be keto friendly.
2018 Domaine Luneau Papin Le Vergers
- Grower: Domaine Luneau Papin
- Varietal: 100% Melon de Bourgogne
- Country: France
- Tasting Notes: A refreshing wine with a flinty aroma, and a tensile palate with prominent notes of yellow apple. Its acidity and weight give it a punchy finish.
2018 Cesconi Nosiola
- Grower: Cesconi
- Varietal: 100% Nosiola
- Country: Italy
- Tasting Notes: This wine is elegant and complex, with a deep color and earthy tones. The palate is initially lean but evolves to a more structured richness with well-balanced flavors of dark fruit, spices, and subtle oak. The tannins are well integrated, resulting in a long and elegant finish.
2018 Bioweinhof Toni Schmid Natural Green
- Grower: Bioweinhof Toni Schmid
- Varietal: 100% Grüner Veltliner
- Country: Austria
- Tasting Notes: Overall, this wine is bright and refreshing with a strong citrus flavor, specifically grapefruit and a touch of green melon rind. The mineral undertones give the wine an interesting complexity and the acidity is well balanced. The finish is clean and crisp, leaving a pleasant aftertaste of citrus.
These dry white wines are a great choice for those looking for keto friendly wine. They typically contain only about 2-4g of carbs per 5oz glass and are also lower in alcohol.
Check out our Is Red Wine Keto Friendly? article to peruse keto friendly red wines that match up with the keto lifestyle.
What About the Residual Sugar?
Residual sugar (RS) is the amount of unfermented sugar that remains in a wine after fermentation has finished. It is measured in grams of sugar per liter (g/L). Wines that have a higher RS tend to have a sweeter taste than those with a lower RS. If you are looking to avoid wines with lots of residual sugar, steer clear of big, bold reds that you see on store shelves everywhere - these wines are typically laden with sugar to cover up the mediocre taste of the wines themselves. Also, if you like Riesling, be careful, look for wines with at least 11% alcohol, anything less is likely either off-dry, or sweet, with plenty of sugar.
For a ketogenic diet, it is important to pay attention to the amount of sugar in the wine. The American Heart Association recommends that people on a keto diet limit their sugar intake to no more than 12-15g of sugar per day. Therefore, if you are looking for a low-sugar wine, you want to look for one with a low RS.
Dry wines are a better choice for those on a keto diet and looking to limit their sugar intake. Additionally, dry wines tend to have fewer calories than sweet wines, which is another benefit for those on a keto diet.
Do You Want to Enjoy a Keto Friendly Wine?
Just like you, we care about what we put in our bodies. That's why we decided to develop a completely different approach to wine: Dry Farm Wines. Switch to organic wines that have lesser alcohol content (less than 12.5% ABV) and are naturally sugar free.
While numerous other winemakers market their products as natural, only less than 0.01% of them meet our strict wine making procedures. Other than vetting every grower and tasting each wine, we also ensure every pure Natural Wine we deal with is lab-tested.
Our procedures ensure that assumptions are not part of the wine selection process, allowing us to conveniently curate pure, small-quantity wines and deliver them to your doorstep on a schedule that works for you.
Contact us today to know how to Switch to Pure, Natural Wine.
