If you’re a wine lover like me, there’s just something about it – right?

Wine feels sophisticated…special – it’s even seasonal. 

Nothing’s better than a crisp white or rosé in the summer at the beach. 

Or a warming, full bodied red on a cool autumn night curled up by the fire.

A fresh beaujolais on Thanksgiving.

A sparkling Prosecco or Champagne on Christmas and New Years Eve. 

Wine is something to savor and celebrate with friends.

It’s just nice.

Even the labels and immense varieties of wine are intriguing – you just want to know more.

But there’s a dark side to wine. 

When consumed in excess, it can lead to terrible sleep, headaches, a hangover and that dreaded weight gain.

So how do you find the right balance?

Following a ketogenic or low carb lifestyle, people often think that wine is out of the picture…

In fact, some incorrect Keto/Low carb food lists indicate that WINE is on the NO list…and that’s just not true. 

Alcohol is not a carb and it doesn’t turn to sugar. It’s its own macronuntrient with 7 calories per gram.

It’s the sugar added to alcohol (including some wines) that’s the problem on a ketogenic diet and it’s how we metabolize alcohol that impacts the liver, ketone production and fat metabolism.

I started my ketogenic journey about 6 years ago and I can tell you I probably wouldn’t have chosen the keto approach if wine were a HARD NO. 

But it’s not a free-for-all either – by any means…

I DO have to select and imbibe wine and alcohol with mindfulness and moderation in order to feel good, balance my weight/hormones and to stay in ketosis…

So I have some tips, tricks and strategies that have helped me along the way:

SELECTING WINE

There’s an easy, fool-proof, and more expensive way to do this and then there’s a time consuming, yet much cheaper way to do this. 

I’ve done both and now I just go for the cheaper way – and it’s no longer that time consuming, because I’m learning what to look for  – and when I find a wine that works for me, I buy it again.

First, the foolproof expensive way is to join a wine subscription service like Dry Farms Wine.

I love this company and what they stand for – sustainability, biodynamic wines, keto friendly and as healthy as you can get.  Just good vibes all around.

They’ve done ALL the research, sourcing, testing and curating for you.

I subscribed to their service for a few months a few years ago and I can tell you, it was so fun.

I enjoyed every single wine they sent me. (In fact, I found myself drinking more than usual which wasn’t a good thing actually).

Dry Farms only sources low alcohol, no sugar wine with no crap or additives. It’s like the Bulletproof Biohacked Coffee equivalent – only with wine. If you want to learn more about what’s in commercial wines, the effects on your health and the planet and why it matters, go to their website. The average price per bottle is around $25-$30.

Other services are popping up that offer ‘clean wines’  – some are a little less expensive too. I did a few shipments from Thrive Market which averages between $15-$20 per bottle and they were very good and more in my price range. Most of these services don’t seem to focus on being Keto Friendly and I doubt they’re testing for mold and high sulfites like Dry Farms, so you still need to do your research or a little trial and error. 

Since I cancelled my wine memberships, I currently buy my own wine and here’s how I approach it:

• I avoid US wines.  I know that sounds horrible but this 2019 report should convince you that the risk isn’t worth it. A similar report also tested high arsenic levels in dozens of California wines.
• Opt for European wines. Although not a guarantee of purity – there’s no way to know for sure if wine makers might have shady practices or ingredients over there too…but we do know that the use of glycosphate and many other chemicals that are completely standard practice and approved here in the US – are banned and/or tightly regulated in Europe. Other countries may be OK to buy from too… Maybe a Argentinian Malbec or a nice Chilean variety now and then, but mostly I stick to French, Spanish, Italian and even some German, Austrian varieties have been wonderful.
• Look for lower alcohol wine. Alcohol levels in wine under 12.5% are what Dry Farms Wine curates. The percentage of alcohol is indicated somewhere on the bottle. Some can be over 20%! Also in the US – alcohol percentages on labels aren’t regulated at all compared to Europe. 
• Look for biodynamic and/or organic wines. Less pesticides and herbicides means less toxins – and sustainably grown means that it’s better for the planet.
• Sulfites are added to most wines to preserve them and unfortunately, labeling is very vague (most just say: CONTAINS SULFITES)…This may the ingredient that leads to bad reactions in some people that don’t metabolize sulfites well. I haven’t really found a great tasting sulfite-free, European wine yet.