Units and calories in wine

Get the facts about wine and what you can do to cut back on the amount you drink.

What are the daily unit guidelines for wine?
Check the strength of your wine
Reducing the amount of wine you drink

The government advises that people should not regularly drink more than the daily unit guidelines of 3-4 units of alcohol for men (equivalent to a large (250ml) glass of 13% wine) and 2-3 units of alcohol for women (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine). ‘Regularly’ means drinking every day or most days of the week.

A large glass of 13% wine puts a woman over the daily guidelines. Another small glass (125ml) will put men over the guidelines too.

If you regularly drink over these guidelines, you could be increasing your chances of developing long-term health conditions. Find out more about the effects of alcohol.

Check the strength of your wine

Checking wine's ABV (alcohol by volume) will give you a guide to how strong it is. The ABV tells you what percentage of the drink is made up of alcohol. For example, wine with 12% ABV is 12% pure alcohol. The higher the percentage, the more alcohol is present. In this sense, it's better to opt for lower ABV wines.

Do you know what an alcohol unit is? Find out here...

Things you can do right now to reduce the amount of wine you are drinking

One large glass of wine can put you over the unit guidelines for the day. To stay on track, try these top tips:

1. Mind your measures If you're used to drinking large glasses of wine, try switching to smaller measures like a standard-sized glass. Remember to check the volume too. Wines with higher ABV have more alcohol and units. If you're drinking at home, swap those cavernous 250ml wine glasses for a set of 125ml ones.

2. Tackle your triggers If you always have a glass of wine to celebrate a good day at work, or commiserate a bad one, try doing something else instead. An alcohol-free dinner out makes a feel-good treat, while a gym session is a great way to relieve stress.

3. Give alcohol-free days a go If you drink regularly, your body starts to build up a tolerance to alcohol. This is one of the main reasons why it’s important to consider taking regular breaks from drinking. Test out having a break for yourself and see what positive results you notice.

4. Treat yourself Trade up to a special bottle of wine that's expensive enough to encourage you to saviour it over a few days, rather than down it all in one night. This way, you'll space out the units you're consuming.

5. Track your drinking over time If you choose to drink, recording exactly what you've drunk during the week will give you a great idea of whether you're within the guidelines. MyDrinkaware, our web-based drink tracking tool, is perfect for this.

Discover more practical ways to cut back on wine with our tips on cutting down.