Fitness Wine, Low Carb and Low Calorie Wines for Macros

Wine labels of late seem to be all about marketing, rather than place; and this is certainly true when it comes to the more mass produced wines that liken themselves to me sort of familiar brand, only to appeal to a well-defined specific audience. Twenty years or so ago, ex-post the Sideways-effect, this was the undiscerning Pinot Noir lover, and ten before that labels appeared to market Merlot to an aging group of heart-conscious consumers.

Today's wine advertising landscape is dominated by tracts of Instagram posts, Tik-tok shorts and frankly, eye-level positioning on the supermarket shelves. The bulk of which, by the way, seems to be free. There was a time when people were perhaps more eager to learn the basics of wine and try to understand its nuances, but those times seem to have gone. The larger, more luxurious houses of Champagne and to a lesser extent, Bordeaux, are becoming larger, while some mass-market brands that were staples of the mid-00’s have faded away from the shelves, replaced by newer ones.

The association with wine as a luxury alcohol is back and it’s here to stay. This may be because of the natural complexities involved with glass of wine over, say, beer for example, and the larger price tags you pay for a nicer bottle. Though due to the lack of knowledge on the consumers part, many are unable to understand how to shop for wine, or what village makes what grape. Remember when village-quality Burgundy was thirty dollars? Ahh, those were the days.

Who can blame them? The world of wine has developed its own niche, and those of us in it are always looking to outsmart the Chinese investors that hoard cases of our favorites by turning to a new, similar region with added complexities and nuances that seem to be more affordable than Barolo, Etna, Moric, Bierzo, or Naoussa used to be. Thus, it seems a generation lost to marketing, markets to itself, and wine is not in the matrix anymore.

Supposedly, this generation of so-called Zoomers is far less likely to drink wine than any prior generation, and Millennials are showing very low signs of concern for the beverage as well. The wine mass-market is sweltering to target a newer, more health conscious demographic: namely millennials, young Gen-Xers, and older Zoomers growing weary of sugar and carbs.

This trend took place in the nineties with stellar results: marketing food as fat-free, then in the oughts as zero sugar, and now obviously there’s a trend towards low-carb. To ride a marketing trend as a mass-market brand just par for the course and it seems there are quite a few wineries lining up to do just that. The catch, of course, is that wine is by nature, quite a high-carb beverage.

And another thing, don't be led on by corperate-funded studies suggesting wine is awful for your health, either. "Science," today relies on companies paying for studdies that show certain results to meet their advertising metrics. I can remember seeing numerous "studies," suggesting coffee causes cancer, and another one would come out a week later debunking the last on, and then another one to debunk that one.

People have been consuming wine for thousands of years without issue, and for that matter, some of the healthiest civilizations in history were avid consumers of both wine, and the evil red meat that "studies" suggest stays in your colon like bubblegum for ten years, and causes cancer or whatever. The Food Compass from Tufts suggests eating Lucky Charms over cooked beef. Your compass appears to be broken, you absolute donuts. Agro companies will literally throw any money at these universities to get you to eat cheap, processed garbage. I digress, wine is a totally acceptable thing to integrate into your diet for dessert-like consumption. Think of it in the same vein as ice cream: a treat.

Perhaps you’ve heard of FitVine Vineyards, or seen it on the shelves of stores. Quite a few of my peers, very health-conscious people, surprisingly have asked me about what the healthiest wines are for regular consumption, and specifically about this brand in particular. I think there is a real sentiment from people these days who would love to understand more about wine, but marketing hype from major brands and obscurity of fine wines has made it extremely difficult in recent years to find a selection

There also seems to be some fear about selecting a bottle that isn’t good, but realistically, how many times has bad food at a restaurant ruined your night? Probably once or twice - bad service is certainly a kicker. Luckily with wine, If you don’t like it, toss it and open another bottle - where you’re kinda stuck at a bad restaurant, at least until you get the bill.

FitVine has been around for a few years, and despite the savvy label, hasn’t managed to make an extensive dip in the wine market. Most people who drink wines, and the numbers are fewer and fewer, prefer, “bold, dry, red wines,” at the detriment of some more aptly made industrial white wines, with often greater attention to detail. That’s a different story.

My problem with FitVine is the marketing - okay, fine it has less sugar than a normal glass. But there’re no ingredients listed or nutritional facts. The company just uses jargon like, Fermented to Dry. Yeah, all dry wine is fermented to dry. That’s why it’s called dry. The wines boast less than a ninth of a gram of sugar per glass, which is certainly low, but the average Sagrantino, or, Nebbiolo, grapes of notably incredible dryness, generally have anywhere from zero residual sugar (leftover sugar after fermentation to alcohol) to .25, not really a significant difference. So realistically, I have no idea what the process for creating this wine is, or how it varies from any other winemaking undertaking.

FitVine produces several different varietals, from Cabernet, to Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and even Prosecco. All of which have under a ninth of a gram of sugar, and boastfully five carbs, and under one hundred and thirty calories per glass, which is a good thing, and at an affordable price, fitted dollars, who’s complaining? Me. Because what’s not mentioned is the alcohol content.

While alcohol is expected, this being a wine and all; What’s not mentioned is the fact that these wines have relatively average amounts of alcohol by volume for a standard red wine fourteen and a half percent on their Cabernet Sauvignon. While previous studies on alcohol’s affect on athletic performance is relatively inconclusive, what we do know, is that Alcohol is is not conducive to weight loss, as even in small amounts, it interrupts the metabolic process, forcing the body to store fat.

While not processed like sugar, as some have argued in the past, alcohol can cause issues with muscle development as well, extending the recovery period needed during rest days between workouts by up to three days. Alcohol interferes with the growth hormone leptin, which is the hormone that satiates, and makes a person feel full, causing individuals to feel the need to eat more. The surplus calories that alcohol inhibits (alcohol does have a caloric profile of seven calories per gram, or one gram of stored fat) can also negatively impact a persons caloric intake as well.

I’ve written a column about the effects of alcohol on Testosterone in men as well - definitely a thing to be avoided if you’re training intensely or trying to achieve your fitness goals. Though totally acceptable in moderation, anything over a glass a night is a bit excessive, and will limit your performance in the gym; as well as any benefit you may find in your well-maintained diet. These wines are marketed and priced as daily drinking wine that are healthy - no wine is healthy. People should not be led to believe that daily drinking anything with alcohol is in any way not going to hinder weight loss - there's no diet alcohol.

Grapes used in FitVine come from the Central Valley, where land is cheap, growing conditions are easy, and mostly importantly, the sun is hot, and sugars are high. When these more high-sugar varietals such as Cabernet, Chenin, and Chardonnay are cooked out in Central Valley heat, and there needs to be some sort of process for lowering the sugar amounts leftover by fermentation. Often this is done by adding excess water during harvest, or acidified water in the winery - not an accusation, just common practice for bulk wineries. Wine can only be fermented to about fifteen percent alcohol by volume before the yeasts begin to die, halting fermentation. Yet, It’s so hot and dry that irrigation is basically mandatory. Weather is entirely predictable, and this makes growing grapes here cheap, as the vast majority of jug wine comes from around the Fresno area.

There is an unspoken breakdown of information here with these mass-produced wines, that seems to be leaving out some information in regards to their winemaking process, which would allow them to get to these low sugar levels considering the growing climate, and varietals selected. Furthermore, if you’re going to market a wine as acceptable for health conditioning, why not put some nutritional facts on the back, like any other product. Heck, steak has nutritional facts on its packaging.

There’s no keto label, no non-gmo, no added sulfites, nothing. Devoid of information, like a typical wine bottle would be, yet this one has a jogger on the front. It would be nice to at least see the calories per glass! I had to go sleuthing on the website to even find that information. This seems like a detriment to the health-conscious consumer who may want to enjoy a bottle of wine that’s seemingly non-complex, straight forward, and low-calorie, carb, and sugar. Perhaps someone who doesn’t really know, or care a whole lot about wine, but just wants something that won’t hinder their macros. Many young people shop based on what is on the nutritional label, it may have been a wiser to have included one.

If you are a health-conscious consumer, there’s is some good news that will make shopping for wine a it easier: while the Central Valley is a poor environment for both fine wine, and low-calorie options, there are a ton of widely available alternative wines that are similar in price, and available at your grocery store, so you won’t need to make an extra stop. They are also mad with a more conscientious hand to boot.

Northern Italian grapes like Sagrantino, Nebbiolo, and Sangiovese are all high in antioxidants, tannin that’s heart-healthy, and dangerously low in sugar and carbs. They are all widely available as well. Less widely available is Xinomavro, and Etna Rosso, a greek red grape, and Sicilian blend respectively. These wines will not give you any sort of health benefit, and any alcoholic beverage should be consumed knowing full well the effects on athletic performance, and weight gain. However, I think you will get more enjoyment consuming these finer wines once in a while, and frankly, they’re located right in the wine aisle at your local grocery store for the same price. Why not try something new?

WHOLE FOODS

Produttori Del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo or GD Vajra - $19

per 5oz/150ml -- Cal: 120 Carb: .5g Sug: None

Complex, yet easy to enjoy, this Nebbiolo-based light red wine features a traditional maceration, resulting in increased color, and tannin, yet lower sugars. You will notice flavors of ripe red cherry, cassis, anise, rose petal and wafts of seaweed. It finishes smoothly. Read about this region here.

PUBLIX GROCERY

Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG - $17

per 5oz/150ml -- Cal: 130 Carb: 4g Sug: None

Ripe and sour at the same time, this typical example of Sangiovese is enhanced by ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon, which provides some added color and a tinge of graphite on the nose. This wine is full-bodies, but does provide a lot of delightful complexity. Read about Tuscan wine here.

MEIJER/KROGER GROCERY

Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages - $11

per 5oz/150ml -- Cal: 115 Carb: 2g Sug: None

While certainly not a personal favorite of mine, this particular Beaujolais is extremely cheap and available just about everywhere from Walmart to Harding's. It's of the Gamay grape, and has a delightful fruitiness to it that is characteristic of carbonic maceration. Raspberry, red cherry, and watermelon are all common descriptors.

H-E-B GROCERY

Marchesi di Barolo Ruvei Barbera D'Alba - $18

per 5oz/150ml -- Cal: 100 Carb: .5g Sug: None

This is a stellar and exciting find if you're blessed enough to live in Texas. Barbera is the grape here, and it comes from the town of Alba in Piedmont, which is known for a richer, earthier style of this light red. Expect ripe raspberry, blackcurrant and white truffle from this bottle. Read more about Barbera here.

WEGMAN'S GROCERY

Famille Perrin Côtes-du-Rhône Réserve

per 5oz/150ml -- Cal: 95 Carb: .2g Sug: .3g

This is a fuller-bodied Rhône blend with nice white pepper notes, stewed cherry, and some rich red plum. There are some nice leather notes and some very interesting animalistic flavors as well. This wine is from the owners of Ch. De Beaucastel in C9dp. Read more bout the Southern Rhône here.

COSTCO

Covalli Barolo DOCG

per 5oz/150ml -- Cal: 110 Carb: 1g Sug: None

Another incredible deal from my favorite place to shop for wine, Costco. This Barolo is available thirty dollars under value. Notes of road tar, lavender, rose petal, and prosciutto flanked by Black cherry and clove. Light bodied and reserved with a nice finish.

In all actuality, if you make wine a treat once a month, you can spend $80 on one fine bottle, rather than $20/week. Saves you calories as well.

That's All,

~K