Can Drinking Wine Ever Be Healthy For You?

Wine has been enjoyed for thousands of years, and for a variety of reasons. More recently, studies have suggested that wine could be good for your health, especially your heart. But unfortunately, based on new research, this might not be true. 

When it comes to your health, wine actually does more harm than good. This is because there is no amount of alcohol that is safe to drink. Even small amounts of alcohol can increase your risk of cancer, health problems, and death.

Despite the risks, over 40% of adults worldwide drink alcohol. And if you’re a wine drinker, you may be wondering: Are there some wines that are healthier than others? How can I maximize the benefits and minimize the risks?

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What are the potential health benefits of wine?

You may have heard that wine — especially red wine — is good for your health. Over the years, studies have suggested that wine can potentially:

• Protect brain health: In a 2020 study of almost 20,000 middle-aged and older adults, people who drank low to moderate amounts of alcohol had better cognitive (thinking) abilities than people who never drank.

• Protect heart health: In a 2017 study of over 300,000 adults, light drinkers were 26% less likely to die of heart disease. And in a 2018 study of over 200,000 people, drinking alcohol 2 to 3 times a week was linked to a lower risk for heart disease.

• Improve cholesterol levels: There’s evidence that drinking wine may boost your HDL (good) cholesterol.

• Prevent diabetes: In a 2005 meta-analysis of over 350,000 people, people who drank alcohol had a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

• Improve your gut microbiome diversity: Your gut microbiome is an ecosystem of helpful microorganisms that live in your gut. A recent study found that red wine drinkers had better microbiome diversity than people who drank other types of alcohol.

But experts are skeptical. It’s not clear whether these health benefits are from drinking wine or from something else, like good genes or a healthier lifestyle. For example, compared to non-drinkers, wine drinkers are shown to be more likely to:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables

• Eat more fiber

• Stay away from tobacco

• Exercise

And even if wine does have some health benefits, it still doesn’t change the fact that alcohol also causes cancer and many other health conditions. 

So, if you don’t already drink wine, don’t start for health reasons. It’s just too risky. 

Which wines are the healthiest?

If you do drink, some wines may be healthier than others. These include wines that are rich in antioxidants, like resveratrol. Also, some wines have a lower amount of alcohol (ethanol). Examples of some of the healthier wines are:

• Pinot noir

• Cabernet sauvignon

• German riesling 

• Prosecco

• French gamay

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We’ll go through in more detail why these make the list of the healthiest wines. But first, let’s start with the wine that often makes it to the top of the list. 

Pinot noir 

Pinot noir has a reputation for being a healthy wine. Pinot grapes have thin skin. This means they have low tannins, which can cause headaches in some people. Also, they are high in the antioxidant resveratrol. Pinot grapes that are grown in cool climates also tend to have a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) and fewer calories than other red wines. 

Look for a pinot noir from France or Germany, with an ABV under 12.5%. Pinot noir from warmer climates (like California) often has a much higher ABV. 

Antioxidant-rich wine

Some wines are especially high in antioxidants. The amount of antioxidants depends on the type of grape and how the wine was grown and made.

When choosing a wine, here are some factors that can affect the antioxidant content:

• What type of grape is it? Some wine grapes naturally have more antioxidants. These include Tannat, cabernet, merlot, pinot noir, and grenache.

• Where are the grapes grown? Grapes grown in Southwest France, Sardinia, and Uruguay have a reputation for being high in antioxidants.

• How old are the grapevines? Consider choosing a wine from an older, more established vineyard. Grapes from older vineyards may have more antioxidants.

• Was the wine made with the grape skins on? Some wines are made with the skins on, like red wine, orange, and rose. These types of wine may have more health benefits than white wines.

• Is the wine filtered or aged? Filtering and aging can both lower the amount of antioxidants in the wine. Consider looking for a newer, unfiltered (unrefined) wine. 

“Natural” wine

A natural wine only contains one ingredient: grapes (and sometimes, a tiny bit of sulfites). This is different from many commercial wines, which can have over 70 extra ingredients added to improve taste, body, and color. 

Because natural wines don’t have any added sugar, there is less alcohol produced during the fermentation process. This means that many natural wines can be lower in alcohol. Some natural wine vendors like Dry Farm Wine test the alcohol levels of their wines, so you can be confident that they are low-alcohol. 

Low-alcohol wine

Low-alcohol wines are less harmful to your health compared to higher-alcohol wines. Some types of wine are naturally low in alcohol, especially wine from cooler climates.

Low-alcohol wines have between 5.5% ABV and 12.5% ABV. Examples include:

• German riesling 

• Moscato d’Asti 

• Prosecco

• French gamay

• Cool climate pinot noir 

Keep in mind: In the U.S., the ABV only has to be listed on the label if the ABV is higher than 14%. 

Non-alcoholic wine

Non-alcoholic wine is the healthiest wine. Non-alcoholic wines are ideal for people who like wine but who want to avoid alcohol. 

Non-alcoholic wines are “real” wines that have the alcohol removed after they are made. Because they still contain antioxidants, you get the same health benefits, but without the risks. 

There’s even a possibility that non-alcoholic red wine might have more health benefits than regular wine. In some studies, non-alcoholic wine was better than regular wine at controlling blood pressure and boosting good cholesterol. 

What are the health risks of drinking wine?

Many people know that heavy drinking can cause health problems. But there’s evidence that even light drinking (less than 1 drink a day) can increase your risk for cancer. This is especially true for breast cancer. 

The truth is: All alcoholic beverages (including wine) are risky for your health. This is because they contain ethanol, a proven carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer). Other well-known carcinogens include tobacco and asbestos. 

Drinking just 1 bottle of wine per week has the same lifetime cancer risk as 5 cigarettes per week for men or 10 cigarettes per week for women. Women who have 1 drink a day are 14% more likely to get breast cancer than someone who doesn’t drink. 

And the more you drink — and the more often you drink — the greater your risks are. Drinking more than the recommended amount of wine can lead to:

• Heart problems

• Stroke

• High blood pressure

• Liver disease

• Pancreas disease

• Cancer

• Immune system problems

• Dementia

• High blood sugar

• Obesity

• Cancer

• Death

How much wine is safe to drink?

There is no safe amount to drink of any alcohol, including wine. 

If you do drink wine, the lowest-risk option is to drink as little alcohol as possible. This means staying under the recommended daily limits. 

In the U.S., these limits are:

• 1 drink or less per day for women

• 2 drinks or less per day for men

In the U.S., 1 drink is:

• 12 oz of regular beer (5% alcohol)

• 5 oz of wine (12% alcohol)

• 1.5 oz of 80-proof hard liquor (40% alcohol)

This means that men should have no more than 10 oz of wine a day. Women should have no more than 5 ounces. 

Be aware: These maximums do not “roll over” from day to day. In other words, not drinking for several days doesn’t mean you can have multiple servings of wine on a single day later in the week.

Here are some tips that can help you stay within the recommended daily maximums:

• Consider buying single-serve wines rather than full bottles.

• Watch out for canned wines. They can have up to 16 oz (over 3 servings) in a can.

• Use an app to help you track your wine intake.

Also, having your wine during a meal may also help to boost its heart-health benefits. 

Are there any wines that I should avoid?

Stay away from high-alcohol wines (over 14.5% ABV) and fortified wines. According to wine expert James Suckling, wines from warm climates also tend to have higher alcohol. This may include:

• Wines from California

• Wines from Southern France

• Dry white wines

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Sarah Gupta, MD

Sarah Gupta, MD, is a licensed physician with a special interest in mental health, sex and gender, eating disorders, and the human microbiome. She is currently board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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