The world’s most popular wine always derives questions about if it is quite a strong wine. The Chardonnay alcohol content and calories per 5 oz. serving always intrigues people who love Chardonnay wine.
In this article, we will describe the Chardonnay alcohol content and compare it with other popular white and red wines. Moreover, we will go through the number of glasses of Chardonnay wine to get drunk and the calories you will get in the drinking session. Finally, we will help you reduce wine wastage of this precious wine by enabling you to get the wine bottles that will be sufficient for your party or family gathering since storing wine for long does not yield the desired results.
Let’s start by diving into the Chardonnay alcohol content range and comparison with other wines. We will also calculate the amount of alcohol in each serving that you take.
What is Chardonnay alcohol content?
The Chardonnay alcohol content is 13.5% by volume in the United States even though the average alcohol percentage by volume for the Chardonnay which is an example of a full-bodied white wine can range between 13.5% and 14.5%. The alcohol in wine ranges from 5% to 23% alcohol by volume (ABV) with the average being approximately 10% ABV meaning that the mostly dry white wine Chardonnay alcohol content by volume is a little over the average.
The alcohol you take will depend on the amount of wine you take. For example, a 5 oz. glass of wine will give you 0.63 ounces of alcohol if the wine is 12.5% alcohol content. So the number if glasses and the glass size in addition to the ABV that you take will determine the amount of alcohol consumed.
It is claimed that the alcohol content in your wine depends on the amount of sugar that has accumulated in the grapes during their harvest. This means that if the grapes developed more sugar at harvest time, the higher the alcohol content of the wine will be.
The following table explores the different types of Chardonnay wine and lists their alcohol content.
| Chardonnay Wine | Chardonnay alcohol content (ABV) |
| Australian Chardonnay | High; 13.5 to 14.5 percent ABV |
| Auxerrois blanc. | 8.5% ABV |
| Auxois blanc. | 13% ABV |
| Balletto Vineyards Twin Ridges Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 | 13.1% ABV |
| Black Stallion Estate Winery Heritage Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020 | 14.5% ABV |
| Blanc de Champagne. | 12% ABV |
| Bonterra Chardonnay 2020 | 13.5% ABV |
| Bravium Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2019 | 13.4% ABV |
| California Chardonnay | High; 13.5 to 14.5 percent |
| Chamisal Vineyards Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2018 | 13.5% ABV |
| Chardonnet. | High; 13.5 to 14.5 percent |
| Charles Krug Winery Carneros Chardonnay 2019 | 14.2% ABV |
| Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019 | 14.1% ABV |
| Château Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2018 | 14.5% ABV |
| Darms Lane Chardonnay | 14.5% ABV |
| Domaine Skouras Almyra Chardonnay 2020 | 13% ABV |
| Douglas green chardonnay- South Africa | 14% ABV |
| Early Mountain Quaker Run Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 | 12.7% ABV |
| Etude Grace Benoist Ranch Estate Carneros Chardonnay 2019 | 13.6% ABV |
| Evening Lands Seven Springs Chardonnay 2019 | 13.6% ABV |
| Flowers Vineyards & Winery Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2019 | 13.5% ABV |
| Gelber Weissburgunder. | 13.5% ABV |
| Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020 | 14.5% ABV |
| Hirsch Vineyards Hirsch Estate Chardonnay 2020 | 14.1% ABV |
| Jacob’s creek classic chardonnay | 12% ABV |
| Kokomo Winery Peters Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 | 14.00% ABV |
| La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2020 | 13.5% ABV |
| Landmark Vineyards Damaris Reserve Chardonnay 2019 | 14.2% ABV |
| Les Lunes Wine Linda Vista Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 | 13.7% ABV |
| Macari Vineyards Chardonnay Estate 2019 | 12.5% ABV |
| Maggy Hawk Skycrest Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 | 13.3% ABV |
| Melon blanc. | 11% ABV |
| Mer Soleil 2010 Silver Unoaked Chardonnay | 14.8% ABV |
| Pinot Chardonnay. | High; 13.5 to 14.5 percent ABV |
| Rodney Strong Chalk Hill 2019 | 13.5% ABV |
| Seaglass Chardonnay 2020 | 13.5% ABV |
| Seghesio Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2020 | 14.00% ABV |
| Shannon Ridge High Elevation Chardonnay 2020 | 13.8% ABV |
| Smoky Rose Cellars Stainless Steel Chardonnay 2020 | 13.1% ABV |
| Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Vineyard Chardonnay 2018 | 14.2% ABV |
| Zuccardi Valle de Uco Fosil Chardonnay 2020 | 13.5% ABV |
Is Chardonnay Considered a Strong Wine?
12% alcohol content by volume is the average alcohol content of wine. This is because wine alcohol content ranges from 5% and 23% ABV. Chardonnay wine on the other hand contains 13.5% alcohol content by volume on average.
Therefore, compared to the average alcohol content in wine, Chardonnay is considered a strong wine. The dry white Chardonnay wine made from Chardonnay grapes, can also be produced in a youthful, fruity style. But ultimately, the wine type depends on the bottle.
Other wines with the same range of ABV as Chardonnay include:
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Viognier
- Sauternes
Fortified wines such as California Sirah and Zinfandel, Italian Amarone, and fortified Portuguese port, and Port Wine can end up with percentages as high as 20% to 21% ABV.
The Chardonnay white wine has great acidity in addition to being dry. This makes the Chardonnay pair well with lean fish meats, seafood appetizers, and roast chicken.
Brand of Chardonnay With The Least & Most Alcohol
As seen in the table of different Chardonnay wines above, the alcohol content in different brands of Chardonnay wine varies. The range is from 11% ABV in Melon blanc, to 14.5% in Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020.
Whether oaked or unoaked, the wine alcohol content depends on the brand itself. The amount of alcohol is the lowest in the following Chardonnay wines:
- Jacob’s creek classic chardonnay- 12% ABV
- Melon blanc.- 11% ABV
On the other end of the spectrum, the Chardonnay wines with the highest alcohol content by volume include:
- Mer Soleil 2010 Silver Unoaked Chardonnay – 14.8% ABV unoaked wine
- Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020- 14.5%
- Black Stallion Estate Winery Heritage Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020- 14.5%
- Darms Lane Chardonnay – 14.5% ABV oaked wine
Even the Chardonnay wines with the lowest alcohol content compare favorably on alcohol content as compared to Muscadet, Lambrusco, and Riesling, whose ABV ranges from 7% to 10% ABV.
How much Chardonnay do you need to get drunk?
Chardonnay contains a higher alcohol content as compared to the average wines even though not by much. This means that the number of glasses of wine to get drunk is similar in most wines.
To get drunk, an average man will take 3 glasses of Chardonnay to get drunk when consumed in an hour. An average woman will get drunk by taking 2 glasses of wine within an hour.
The wine that classifies its imbibers as unsubtle, overly rich, and eager to please gets a bad rap among wine people. The people are always termed as lifelong residents of the comfort zone if they order Chardonnay regularly.
Chardonnay wine among other glasses has immense health benefits. Wine tops the list when compared to other alcoholic drinks in terms of healthier drinks.
Calories in a glass of Chardonnay wine
We all strive to take healthy meals and drinks these days. That is why wine is preferred to most alcoholic drinks because of the benefits accrued from the wine in terms of low alcohol content, antioxidants, and other nutrients that give the wine the complex structure.
Chardonnay wine will give you 123 calories per glass (5 ounces or 150ml serving). Since each bottle gives you about 5 servings of wine, each 750 ml bottle of wine will give you about 635 calories.
The calories may vary slightly from one Chardonnay wine brand to another. However, the average is 123 calories per 5-oz glass or serving. The calories are different because each wine brand has a different alcohol volume by content as described above.
Each ounce of Chardonnay will give around 24.6 calories. This means if your bartender serves you a four-ounce glass you will get 98.4 calories for the four-ounce glass of wine.
Food Pairings
Chardonnay wine pairs well with most food. However, if you want to have a food pairing that accentuates the taste and Chardonnay alcohol content, then the following foods must be at the top of your list:
- Natural partners for fish and seafood such as raw oysters, sautéed shrimp, and light white fish
- Richer bottlings of Chardonnay stand up to heartier dishes
- Excellent with veal and many kinds of cheese.
- Works great with lemon, when squeezed onto pasta with garlic and olive oil or whipped into an aioli.
- Chardonnay also pairs nicely with macaroni and cheese.
The food pairing brings out the Chardonnay fruit notes whose wine tasters claim to give reminiscence of melons and autumn orchard fruit including apples and pears. Other tastes give the Chardonnay wine a certain subtle brininess taste to it, as well as hints of chalk. Finally, the warmer-climate Chardonnays give you a more tropical fruit taste.
What is Chardonnay Wine?
Chardonnay Wine is a white wine that comes from the green-skinned grape variety named Chardonnay. The grapes that originated from the Burgundy region of France gave rise to a wine named after the small town of Chardonnay in the Maconnais.
The wine is relatively inexpensive and of high value. It can easily showcase the style of the winemaker. The grapes that make the wine are a cross between the Pinot Noir grapes and Gouais Blanc grapes.
Winemakers love Chardonnay grapes because it is easy to grow them because of the preternatural ability to express the land that it is grown. The grapes are currently grown in almost every region where wine is made. For example, California had 93,148 acres of vineyards planted to Chardonnay in 2018.
The Chardonnay wine is produced in a wide range of styles from lean, sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oaks while others are not oaked. It is often medium- to full-bodied white dry wine while giving you a full spectrum from crisp and refreshing to velvety and generous white wine.
Wine-tasting experts term Chardonnay wine as the most compelling and popular white wine since it is complex and of high value. It is the red wine of white wines in terms of taste profile and complexity. It is one of the grapes that are used for Champagne production.
Conclusion
We have gone through the Chardonnay alcohol content for all the varieties from different regions in the world even though the wine originated from the Burgundy region in France.
The Chardonnay wine has 13.5% alcohol content by volume but depending on the variety, the alcohol content can vary from 11% ABV to 14.8% ABV.
This article has given you all the facts about the calories output from a glass of Chardonnay wine. Finally, you can also get a description of what Chardonnay wine is and its history from this article.