How much alcohol is in wine?
Most wine is about 11% to 14% alcohol by volume, with light sweet styles like Moscato d’Asti as low as about 5% and fortified wines like port around 19% to 20%.
The number is printed on every label as ABV, alcohol by volume. It tells you what share of the liquid is alcohol, and it varies more than people expect from one bottle to the next.
- Typical table wine
- About 11–14% ABV
- Moscato d’Asti, some Riesling
- About 5–10% ABV
- Big reds like Zinfandel
- About 14–16% ABV
- Port and fortified wine
- About 17–20% ABV
- US standard drink
- 5 oz of wine at about 12% ABV
Why some wines are stronger
Alcohol comes from yeast eating the grape sugar. Grapes grown in hot, sunny places like California or Australia get riper and sweeter, so the wine usually ends up stronger.
Sweet, low-alcohol styles stop fermenting early on purpose, leaving sugar behind instead of turning it all into alcohol. Port works the other way: a grape spirit is added, which pushes the alcohol up and keeps some sweetness.
How wine compares to beer and spirits
A regular beer is about 5% ABV, a glass of wine about 12% and a shot of liquor about 40%. In the US, a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine and a 1.5-ounce shot each count as roughly one standard drink.
The catch is pour size. A generous home pour of a 15% Zinfandel can be close to two standard drinks in one glass, so it helps to glance at the label and the glass.
If you want something lighter
Look at the ABV line on the back label and aim for 12% or under. Riesling, Moscato, Prosecco and many Portuguese and German whites tend to land on the lower side. Pace yourself, drink water alongside, and never drive after drinking.
Keep reading
- What is a good low alcohol wine?
- How many ounces are in a glass of wine?
- How many calories are in a glass of wine?
- What is Moscato?
- Red vs white wine: what's the difference?
Last checked 2026-10-18.