When you drink a glass of Champagne, how much alcohol are you drinking? It is essential to understand because you don’t want to ruin special occasions by drinking too much.
Alcohol in Champagne: The Numbers You Need To Know
Generally speaking, there is 12% alcohol in a champagne bottle of wine. Some bubbles of Champagne are higher or lower. Check the bottle to confirm the champagne alcohol content first. With a 12 percent alcohol level, an average glass of wine contains 5 ounces or 147 ml. A glass of wine has 17.64 ml of alcohol at 12% or 0.6 ounces in terms of pure alcohol.
What Moderate Alcohol Consumption Looks Like
Now we’ve covered the numbers, let’s consider alcohol in moderation. Drinking a whole bottle of Champagne is probably not a good idea for you. Not only would you have a bad hangover in all likelihood, but that much drinking is not suitable for you. You would probably be far over your daily carb allotment from a weight gain perspective because Champagne contains natural sugars. Your blood alcohol content would be pretty high in the short term, so driving would be unsafe.
To set the record straight, consider the guidance on alcoholic drinks from the CDC. The organization has tips on preventing excessive alcohol use as follows:
- Guidelines for Men. 2 drinks or less in a day.
- Guidelines for Women. 1 drink or less in a day.
- Non-drinking. Note – “The Guidelines also do not recommend that individuals who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason.”
You’re probably wondering what a “drink” means in the above guidance. In wine terms, the CDC defines “1 drink” with 12% alcohol by content. For 5% alcohol by content beer, the guidelines suggest 12 ounces of beer.
Following the above guidance on alcohol consumption is a good starting point. If you have questions about your health situation and alcohol, talk to your doctor for specific guidance.
Frequently Asked Champagne Questions
In preparing this article, I came across a few more common questions about Champagne and other kinds of alcohol by bubbles.
1 Is a bottle of Champagne a lot of alcohol
The answer depends on your point of comparison. A bottle of Champagne typically has 12% alcohol content, which is higher than a glass of beer but lower than whisky. IF you are used to drinking beer or cider, a bottle of Champagne might feel like a lot of alcohol. Of course, it is best to keep yourself to one wine glass, or perhaps two.
2 Is Champagne the healthiest alcohol?
There is no simple answer to this question. Let’s start by assuming that you are following the guidelines on standard drinks outlined above. With that in mind, there is some good news!
Generally speaking, Champagne has fewer calories than still red or white wine. The Evening Standard also points out that Champagne may boost your memory. Further, a 2009 study also found that drinking wines, including Champagne, might lower your risk of diabetes.
If you are concerned about weight loss or weight gain, choose your Champagne carefully. There are champagne bottles with very high sugar content. To minimize the sugar content, look for brut Champagne.
A word of caution is essential. These studies almost always assume a moderate level of alcohol consumption. Drinking a bottle of Champagne every day might have worked for Winston Churchill, but think twice before embracing that kind of lifestyle.
3 How much alcohol is in a glass of prosecco?
Prosecco is the best-known sparkling wine in Italy. Since it is not made in the traditional method used in the Champagne wine region, it tends to be cheaper than Champagne.
The short answer is that most Prosecco has a 12% alcohol by volume, similar to most Champagne. That means that an average glass of prosecco contains 5 ounces or 147 ml of wine. A glass of wine has 17.64 ml of alcohol at 12% or 0.6 ounces in terms of pure alcohol.
Of course, it is wise always to check the label of any alcoholic beverage to check the alcohol content double before you start drinking.
4 How much is a bottle of good Champagne?
There are two ways to answer this question depending on how specific you want to be.
If you are strictly looking for sparkling wine made in the traditional method in the Champagne wine region, be prepared to pay! Several factors combine to make Champagne more expensive – it has some of the most expensive wine land in the world. The traditional method used in Champagne also makes the wine more expensive. Now, let’s talk about prices you can expect to pay.
- Non-Vintage Champagne. Wine.com has several well-reviewed non-vintage champagnes available for $50.
- Vintage Champagnes. Vintage champagnes tend to be priced around $100. A bottle of vintage Champagne is generally considered higher quality than a bottle of non-vintage Champagne.
- Expect to pay $50-$100 for a good bottle of Champagne at home. If you buy a bottle of Champagne at a restaurant or bar, the price per bottle will be much higher.
When some people look for a bottle of Champagne, they only want alcohol with bubbles (i.e., a bottle of sparkling wine). In that case, I recommend looking for champagne alternatives – sparkling wine from other world regions like Italy or Spain. I recently had a pleasant sparkling wine from Ontario! In this case, you can find quality sparkling wine from many regions of the world for less than $40.
Learn French Wines In A Weekend?
What if learning about French wines could be simple? You don’t have to jump on a plane to Bordeaux. Instead, you can put on your headphones and listen to one of The Great Courses. In “The Everyday Guide to Wines of France,” you will learn about the main French wine regions in a series of beginner-friendly lectures. The Great Course is only three hours long so you can quickly finish it on the weekend. To learn more about the course, check out my full review: The Everyday Guide to Wines of France (Audible) Review – Learn French Wine In An Afternoon.
