Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of the keto (short for ketogenic) diet, which focuses on eating a diet super low in carbohydrates, moderate-to-high in protein, and high in fat consumption. It’s a relatively easy diet to follow. You just increase your fat intake while drastically cutting down your carb intake, which essentially puts your body into what’s known as ketosis. This metabolic state produces elevated levels of ketone bodies in the liver that are used for primary energy sources in the absence of blood glucose due to low carbohydrate intake, explains Roger Adams, PhD, personal trainer, doctor of nutrition, and owner of eatrightfitness.
Obviously, this means that sweet or starchy foods are off limits, but what about your favorite bottle of wine? As it turns out, many wines are high carb — especially ones that are sweeter, like Rieslings, ports, zinfandels and any dessert wines. The good news is that there are wines that fall under the clutch category of “keto-friendly,” particularly sauvignon blancs, merlots, and champagnes. “Dry wines are the lowest in carbs, and sauvignon blanc is one of the driest and crispest around,” says Jamie Hickey, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist and founder of Truism Fitness. Whether you’re currently on the keto diet or considering going on it, here are some keto-friendly wines you have permission to sip.
1 Folded Hills 2018 Estate Whole Cluster Carbonic ($34; foldedehills.com)
This vineyard has brought health-conscious drinking to a new level with their organically-farmed wines that are made from 95 percent estate-grown grapes — no commercial additives. They’re created without residual sugar, have 1 gram or less of carbs, and are 120 calories per glass.
2 Bodegas Volver La Mancha Single Vineyard Tempranillo 2016 ($16; wine.com)
With low residual sugar — only 3.2g/L — and less than 1g of carbs per 150mL serving, this wine fits the keto-friendly bill. It has an intense purple color and features flavor notes of tobacco, licorice, and black currants.
3 FitVine Cabernet Sauvignon ($16; fitvinewine.com)
Not only is this delicious cabernet sauvignon keto-friendly, thanks to its low carb and sugar count, but it’s also vegan and low-sulfite. If you have a palate for red wine, but don’t want to mess with your diet, this is a great option for you.
4 Free Range Flower “L” Lavender Wine ($30; freerangeflowerwinery.com)
This award-winning winery in Oakland, CA, churns out handcrafted “deliciously different” wine in small batches from locally sourced, organic flowers — not grapes! This makes it low-carb and tannin-free with a fresh flavor.
5 201 Côte West Pine Mountain-Coverdale Peak Sauvignon Blanc ($23; cotewestwine.vinespring.com)
All of Côte West’s wines are dry, meaning there is no detectable residual sugar on the palate (less than 2 grams of glucose and fructose per liter of wine). All the Côte West wines are well below this threshold, with the very lowest being their Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé of Counoise.
6 Rosé all day Rosé 2018 ($12; vivino.com)
This Grenache possess an elegant, aromatic and crisp nose of red fruits with a nice long finish. It has 12.5 percent ABV and very low residual sugar, making it a keto-friendly wine (not a common feature for a rosé).
7 Thomas & Scott Skinny Organic Prosecco ($18; thomasandscott.com)
Even if you’re not on the keto craze, you can’t go wrong with this health-savvy wine. It’s ultra low in sugar, vegan and contains zero harmful chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or animal byproducts. They also have a non-alcoholic sparkling wine “Noughty” for those sipping mocktails.