Beverage
Red wine
USDA description: Wine, red
How red wine scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
Red wineCaution
| Starting score | 100 |
| Alcohol | -32.2 |
| Category: Wine | -20 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -8 |
| Purine Load | -0.5 |
| Magnesium | +0.5 |
| Sodium | -0.1 |
| 2 smaller factors | -0.2 |
| Final score | 39 |
Red wine scores 39 out of 100 and sits in the caution band. Ranks toward the higher-risk end. Many people choose to keep portions smaller and less frequent.
Penalties took 61 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.5 back. Every factor is listed in full below.
Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.
The underlying data
Nutrition and portions
Nutrition Facts
- Total Fat0 g
- Saturated Fat0 g
- Sodium4 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0.62 g
- Protein0.07 g
- Calcium8 mg
- Iron0.46 mg
- Magnesium12 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate1 ug
- Water86.5 g
- Alcohol10.6 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 fl oz30 g
- 1 glasstypical180 g
- 1/2 bottle375 g
- Quantity not specified180 g
Where the purine figure comes from
The purine content of this food has been measured directly in published laboratory studies, so the score uses that measured figure.
We rate this a high confidence estimate.
How purines affect the score →Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.
Scoring rationale
Every factor, in full
Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.
- -32.2Flare risk
AlcoholFlare risk
10.6 g of alcohol per 100 g, scaled 1.8x for the typical portion. Alcohol slows the kidneys' clearance of urate.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res · Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -20Flare risk
Category: WineFlare risk
Alcohol impairs uric acid excretion; moderate risk vs beer (Zhang 2006).
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Choi HK 2008, BMJ · Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
- -8Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 1 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -0.5Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
5 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 0.5x as a beverage source and 1.8x for the typical portion: 5 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- +0.5Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
12 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.8x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- -0.1Long-term
SodiumLong-term
4 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.8x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -0.1Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
85 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- -0.1Flare risk
Purine-Alcohol SynergyFlare risk
Purines and alcohol arrive together (purine load at 1% of maximum, alcohol at 92%), which raises flare risk more than either alone.
Evidence: Zhang Y 2006, Am J Med
Common questions
About red wine
Look up any food's Food Index score
Each score lists the factors that moved it, the portion it assumes, and the studies behind each factor's weight.