These Are the Healthiest and Unhealthiest Wines You Can Drink

By Julia Mullaney, The Cheat Sheet

Which wines are the best and worst?

We’ve heard all along that red wine is great for the heart when consumed in moderation. But is red wine the only type that’s good for us? We dug a little deeper to find out where several popular wines rank on the health and nutrition scale, from the wine you should definitely be drinking to the wine you should definitely avoid.

You should definitely be drinking: Pinot noir

Red wine overall is the healthiest type of wine you can drink, but Pinot Noir is the healthiest of the healthy. According to The Daily Meal, Pinot Noir has a higher resveratrol concentration than any other red wine. Resveratrol is an antioxidant compound that has been shown to improve heart health by lowering bad cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. Some studies have also suggested it can improve brain health and insulin sensitivity, which can boost the lifespan, too.

The process of producing pinot noir differs from other red wines, so it also has a lower sugar content and fewer calories than other reds.

You should probably be drinking: Merlot (and other dry reds)

Dry reds are, overall, the healthiest type of wine, so you can’t really go wrong with any of them. But if you prefer Pinot noir, then you’re at the top of the health game. However, other dry reds, such as merlot or cabernet, can be enjoyed as well. They have high levels of resveratrol, which will keep your heart healthy. Plus, they have lower amounts of sugar than other wines. Red wine provides some great health benefits, regardless of which type you prefer.

You can get away with drinking: Rosé

Rosé shouldn’t be your go-to, all-the-time wine. But it’s also not the worst wine at the bar. Rosé is made with red grapes, but it’s made differently from other red wines. It has fewer antioxidants because there is less time for the grape skin to transfer antioxidants during the wine-making process. It’s still better than white wine, but if you can switch to a solid red (and maybe just indulge in rosé during the summer), you’d reap more health benefits.

You can occasionally drink: Pinot grigio

Pinot grigio is a white wine, and white wines aren’t made the same way as reds. White wines are fermented without grape skins, and the grape skin is what adds all of those healthy antioxidants to the wine. Take away the grape skin, and you’ve taken away the health benefit of consuming one glass daily. Aside from having no antioxidants, white wines also have more sugar than reds. That’s why they go down more smoothly than a dry red. If you’re out with friends, you can indulge in a glass of Pinot grigio, but don’t make it habit — try to wean yourself off of that glass of white and trade it in for that glass of red.

You shouldn’t be drinking: Sweet wines

Sweets wines, such as white Moscato or some Rieslings, have two bad things going for them: They’re white wines, so they have no healthy antioxidants, and they’re sweet wines, so they’re loaded with sugar. This means they have a lot of carbs, too. They’re enjoyable to drink, but they’re one of the worst wines for you to consume. If one is your absolute favorite, you can indulge once in a while, but at least try to trade it in for a dryer white.


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