Is Champagne Keto-Friendly?

Champagne is a type of sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France.

It’s made following a specific set of rules called the Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) (2).

The AOC regulations are a designation of origin system, meaning that they link the wine to its geographical region of origin. They also monitor every aspect of the production process to maintain the region’s wine reputation.

For example, they determine which varieties of grapes may be used — mainly Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay — which have to be grown in the same area. Also, the wine has to be bottled within the region.

Therefore, sparkling wines produced in other areas or countries cannot be called champagne.

How is it made?

To know if champagne is keto-friendly, you must first understand how it’s made (3):

1. Pressing. The grapes are pressed twice to extract the juice, which is rich in sugar.
2. Sulphuring and settling. Sulfites are added to the juice to prevent unwanted bacterial growth. Then, solid particles, such as the grape’s skin or seeds, are left to settle to the bottom for easier removal.
3. Primary fermentation. At this stage, yeast ferments the grape’s natural sugars and turns them into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
4. Malolactic fermentation. This is an optional step in which malic acid breaks down into lactic acid. It’s preferred when looking for butter notes in the wine.
5. Clarification. This step is vital, as it rids the wine of impurities and dead yeast cells, producing a clear base wine.
6. Blending. The base wine is combined with other wines from different years or grape varieties.
7. Stabilization. The wine is then left to chill at 25°F (-4°C) for at least 1 week to prevent the formation of crystals.
8. Bottling and secondary fermentation. This step transforms still champagne into a sparkling one by mixing it with more yeast and a sweet solution called dosage, which is made out of cane or beet sugar. The extra yeast and sugar allow for the secondary fermentation.
9. Maturation. Bottled champagne is left to mature at 54°F (12°C) for a minimum of 15 months and up to 2 years or longer. Great champagnes may even spend decades in maturation.
10. Riddling and disgorgement. After maturation, the bottles are moved to loosen the sediment of dead yeasts. Then, they’re disgorged, which removes the sediment, once again producing a clear wine.
11. Dosage. This stage determines the style or type of champagne. At this point, more dosage may be added to perfect the flavor — though this isn’t always done.
12. Corking. Lastly, a cork covered with a metal cap and held with a wire cage seals the bottle. The champagne may again be left to age before being sold.

As you can see, it’s a thorough process that calls for added sugars, which may take up a big chunk of your daily carb allotment.

However, most of the grape’s natural sugars are fermented into alcohol during the primary fermentation, and the extra yeast does the same to the dosage added during the second fermentation, leaving little to no sugar residue (4).

Therefore, if the winemaker doesn’t add a lot more dosage during the dosage stage, you may still be able to fit a glass into your keto diet.

Summary

Champagne is a type of sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France following a specific set of rules. Its processing calls for added sugars, some of which are fermented by yeast, while others may remain in the final product.

Given champagne’s sweet taste and added sugars, you may think that it’s a high carb wine.

However, a 5-ounce (150-mL) serving generally provides just 3 to 4 grams of carbs, with only 1.5 grams from sugar (5).

Still, its carb content varies greatly depending on the type.

Types of champagne

The dosage stage determines the kind of champagne that’s being produced, as well as its final carb content (6).

Here’s a list of the different types of champagne, along with their estimated carb content per 5-ounce (150-mL) serving (7):

• Doux: 7.5 grams of carbs
• Demi-sec: 4.8–7.5 grams of carbs
• Sec: 2.5–4.8 grams of carbs
• Extra dry: 1.8–2.6 grams of carbs
• Brut: less than 2 grams of carbs
• Extra brut: less than 0.9 grams of carbs

As for Brut nature, Pas dosé, and Dosage zéro, these don’t contain any dosage, meaning that their sugar content ranges from 0 to 0.5 grams.

The keto diet restricts your daily carb intake to a maximum of 50 grams per day, and sometimes even as low as 25 grams per day (2).

That said, you may drink a glass of champagne while staying within the limits, as long as you keep other carb sources under control throughout the day.

However, keep in mind that these grams of carbs will add up with every glass you drink.

Therefore, be sure to drink alcohol in moderation — up to one drink (5 ounces) for women and two drinks for men per day — and try to stick to those with the lowest sugar counts (8).

Lastly, watch out for added ingredients, such as fruit juices used to make champagne cocktails, which may greatly increase the carb content of your drink.

For example, mimosas are made by mixing champagne with orange juice.

Summary

Champagne is a low carb wine with a carb content ranging from 3 to 4 grams per 5-ounce (150-mL) serving. Therefore, it’s a keto-friendly drink, as long as you keep within your daily carb limit.

Champagne is generally a low carb wine. Therefore, if it fits into your daily carb allotment and you watch your serving size, it may be considered keto-friendly.

However, given that its carb content may vary depending on the type, stick to those with a lower carb content, such as Brut, Extra Brut, or Brut Nature.

Still, remember that you should always drink alcohol in moderation to avoid its negative health effects. Plus, despite its lower carb content, drinking too much champagne may end up taking your body out of ketosis.