Why Chardonnay’s Sugar Level Is Not As Scary As You Think

Every wine has its own specific amount of sugar. Although some wines claim to have no added sugar content, all wine also has some amount of sugars that come naturally on top of the added sugar content. Winemakers also add sugar before the fermentation process to control the alcohol content of the wine. Any sugar added after a wine is finished won’t change the alcohol percentages.

With this being said, there’s no way to escape the sugar, for wines are not completely free of natural sugars. However, if you’re in search of a sugar-free alcoholic beverage, you should look into drinks like whiskey, tequila, or gin in their purest form. 

Is Chardonnay high or low in sugar compared to other white wines?

Although Chardonnay has 1.5 grams of sugar per every five-ounce serving, it’s not a white wine that carries the lowest amount of sugar. One of the white wines lower in sugar than a Chardonnay would be Pinot Grigio containing less than 1 gram of sugar per every five-ounce serving. 

How about compared to red wine?

Few red wines match the low sugar content of a Pinot Grigio, if not slightly exceed a Chardonnay. Because of this, I wouldn’t say that red wine contains less sugar content or white wine contains less sugar content because every wine has some form of sugar. 

A Pinot Noir holds a sugar content of 1 gram per every 5-ounce serving. This matches up nicely with Pinot Grigio in sugar content. Meanwhile, a Cabernet Sauvignon holds a sugar content of 

Pinot noir 1g for 5oz Cabernet Sauvignon 1.12g for 6 oz serving. Which slightly exceeds the sugar content of our average Chardonnay. 

Are there some brands of Chardonnay that are lower in sugar?

A few different brands on the market distribute Chardonnay with low sugar content. 

• Fun Wine Coconut Chardonnay
• Ramey Wine Cellars 2017 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
• 2019 Folly of the Beast Chardonnay 
• NV FitVine Chardonnay
• Perseverance Chardonnay

Final Thougths on Chardonnay’s Sugar Level

Compared to other white wines, Chardonnay does tend to have lower sugar content. However, it’s not a white wine with the lowest sugar content possible. White wines and red wines can line up in sugar content; there are red wines available for purchase with equal if not less sugar content than white wines. 

For example, Pinot Noir (a red wine) has 1g of sugar for a 5oz serving. Pinot Grigio (a white wine) also has 1g of sugar for every 5oz. A few fan favorites of Chardonnay’s low in sugar content include but are not limited to Perseverance Chardonnay, Fun Wine Coconut Chardonnay, and NV FitVine Chardonnay. It’s all about finding what’s right for you regarding preferences in sugar, calorie, and carb contents.