Is Red Wine Acidic or Alkaline?
Red wine (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
At −1.6 per 100 ml, red wine is slightly alkaline because the potassium from the grapes passes into the wine along with the skins during mash fermentation. White wine, usually fermented without the skins, comes to only −1.0. A 200 ml glass adds roughly −3.2. Alcohol isn't part of the PRAL calculation, but it certainly is part of the calories.
In the Drinks category, red wine (prepared) ranks #20 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Rosé wine (−1.7), Mulled wine (−1.7), Grape juice (−1.8). More acid-forming are Cranberry juice (−1.6), Peach nectar (−1.4), Fruit spritzer (general) (−1.3).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is red wine acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Red wine (prepared) has a PRAL of −1.6 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much red wine do I need for a noticeable effect?
A glass (200 ml) of red wine adds −3.2 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of red wine roughly offsets one of them.
Why is red wine alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Red wine provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.6).
Red Wine logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Drinks: Drinks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.