12 Keto Diet-Friendly Wines That Are Perfect for Special Occasions
Eat cheese and drink your champagne, too!
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If you're new to the Keto diet (or have been thinking about starting one soon!), you've likely mourned the loss of happy hour cocktails and drinks. But what many Keto newcomers don't realize is that wine can actually fit in the diet plan — if you know which bottles to pull. Like everything else on your Keto radar, the wine you choose to drink must be quite low in carbohydrates to avoid throwing you off ketosis. Plus, you'll need to keep an eye on naturally occurring sugars, which means you'll likely pull vino that ranges in alcohol content levels overall.
Vicky and Rami Abrams, the duo behind the Keto Diet for Dummies guidebook and founders of the Total Keto Diet service, tell Good Housekeeping that keto-friendly wines are nearly always dry, meaning they're short on sugar. "Find the driest wine you can and enjoy that," they tell us. Believe it or not, one of the best options for Keto dieters is dry champagne, which is usually labeled "Brut".
"During the fermentation process, bacteria will feed off the sugar in grape juice to create alcohol," Vicky explains. "The more alcohol content in wine, generally we'll see lower amounts of sugar since it's been eaten up by the bacteria. What's left is the residual sugar winemakers keep for their particular flavor profile."
Whichever wine you end up choosing, always shoot for a dry wine with low residual sugar — any sommelier at a local shop can help you, and if you're looking at nutrition labels yourself, keep it to between 3-4 grams of net carbohydrates per 5oz serving. Factor in a glass of wine or two on a day when you're tracking how many dietary carbs you're eating to stay on track. Below, we've done the legwork for you, pulling a fine selection of the best Keto diet-friendly wines: All nutritional stats are calculated for a 5oz restaurant pour, populated from data on MyFitnessPal. Pop these low-carb, low-sugar bottles and raise a glass:
Carbs: 3g
Calories: 120
ABV: 12.5%
An excellent choice for any seafood night, a classic Pinot Grigio is dry but maintains a slight citrus-y flavor profile that's unique on this list.
Carbs: 2g
Calories: 105
ABV: 12%
We love to be able to say that bubbly is best in this case! Dry champy can range up to be quite expensive, but this moderately priced bottle is great for a celebration (and great with cheese!). There are budget-friendly champagne picks to be had, too.
Carbs: 3g
Calories: 100
ABV: 14.5%
A soul-warming glass of Cabernet Sauvignon pairs so well with all of the meat you'll be enjoying, namely beef and poultry, like a fatty duck breast. Most Cabernets are easy to sneak into a dinner party, as they range between 2 - 3g of carbohydrates per pour.
Carbs: 5g
Calories: 85
ABV: 13.5%
Despite its dry flavor profile, this millennial pink concoction manages to sneak in a strawberry note you'll love. As it's a bit higher in carb blowback than others on this list, rosé should be an occasional sip.
Carbs: 4g
Calories: 125
ABV: 13.9%
Cruciferous vegetables and the richness of pork pair perfectly with this light, silky red wine — a classic Pinot Noir won't let you down in any case.
Carbs: 4g
Calories: 125
ABV: 13.5%
A Merlot is wonderfully herbal for most, making it a great pairing for a rich chicken dish or even a variety of your favorite cheeses. It's just a bit more carb-heavy than others on this list, but its unique flavors are worth the tradeoff.
Carbs: 1.4g
Calories: 110
ABV: 14.9%
It's one of the least dry on this list, but a good Chardonnay doesn't veer into sweet territory. It pairs well with lighter meals since it has a softer fruity undertone.
Carbs: 3g
Calories: 125
ABV: 13.5%
Usually a unique blend of a trio of merlot, cab sauvignon, and sangiovese, Chianti pairs super well with a Sunday roast. Wonderfully earthy and robust in its own right, this particular dry blend has an undertone of red berry fruity notes.
Carbs: 3g
Calories: 119
ABV: 13.5%
One of the lightest blends on this list, a great glass of Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for lighter meals, like brunch or a seafood dinner. The best dry varieties stay below 4g of carbohydrates and are perfectly tart.
Carbs: 2.5g
Calories: 100
ABV: 13%
A distant cousin of Shiraz that stems exclusively from Frech lineage, a true Sirah is very, very flavorful. Expect bold notes of peppery chocolate and plum.
Carbs: 1g
Calories: 110
ABV: 12.5%
Varieties of sparkling wine — including prosecco! — are totally keto-approved, as long as they remain in the bone dry category. This particular champagne is great for celebrations!
Carbs: 6g
Calories: 90
ABV: 12.5%
Some riesling has the reputation of being the opposite of dry, as many know it to be quite sweet and carb-heavy. But a dry variety is a nice alternative for when you're looking for something new; since the carb count is higher on some bottles, be sure to enjoy those pours sparingly.
Zee Krstic is a content strategy manager for Hearst Magazines, leading audience acquisition and affiliate revenue growth for Country Living, House Beautiful, ELLE Decor and VERANDA. He previously served as Health Editor for Good Housekeeping between 2019 and 2023, covering news, wellness trends and executing product reviews in conjunction with the Good Housekeeping Institute. Prior to joining Hearst, Zee fostered a background in women's lifestyle media with seven-plus years of digital editorial experience, including as a site-wide editor at Martha Stewart Living. Zee currently produces design and lifestyle service content as a contributor; he has written about food and dining for Time, among other publications.
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