Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Brancott Estate Flight Song (2016) Wine Review


How many calories are in a glass of wine? Well, that all depends.  It was when I came across this Wine Wednesday’s feature, the 2016 Brancott Estate Flight Song Sauvignon Blanc, that I considered this question more closely.  I noticed the label said it is “crafted to be 20% lighter in calories”.  This sort of surprised me.  Of course, I’m familiar with the Skinny Girl wines, though I’ve never tried them.  To be honest, though I enjoy wine, I don’t feel I consume enough that the 20% savings in calories is worth the compromise of the wine experience.  However, it did cause me to pause because I don’t remember seeing a well-known label such as Brancott touting a low-calorie wine.  So, I shelled out the $15.99 and gave it a try.

Before I get into my review of the wine, I think it pertinent to point out where the calories in wine come from.  Generally, it’s either sugar or alcohol. Low calorie wines also tend to be lower in alcohol.  In the case of this week’s wine, it is 9% ABV. A popular equation I came across to determine the calories in a glass of wine is to multiply the serving size x % alcohol by volume x 1.6.  This equation works best for dry wines. A serving of wine is generally considered to be 5 oz. with about 5 glasses in an average bottle.  So, in the case of Flight Song, using this equation, multiply 5 oz. x 9 ABV x 1.6, and you get 72 calories. Their website indicates that there are 88 calories.  As you can see the equation isn’t exact, but it can get you in the ballpark. Keep in mind also, that some sweeter wines like Moscato are lower in alcohol, but the additional sugar could make it higher in calories than a dry white with a higher alcohol content.

So, after all that, how was the wine?  Was it the best Sauvignon Blanc I’ve ever had? No. But, it was far from the worst. I thought it might seem watery or lackluster, but I found it to have the qualities I’ve come to love in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  On the nose, tropical fruit, grapefruit and green vegetables. On the palate it exhibited nice body and was well balanced with the citrus notes stealing the show. I found it to have a short finish – not evolving the way other favorite Sauvignon Blancs do, but in the end, I wasn’t disappointed with the purchase. 

I noticed that the regular Brancott Sauvignon Blanc has about 119 calories per 5 oz. serving and 13.5% ABV. Over the course of the holiday party season, that 34 calories per glass could allow you a few extra hors d' oeuvres and the lower alcohol content isn't necessarily a bad thing either.  Speaking of hors d' oeuvres, Flight Song would pair well with Salmon Cucumber Canapés, Crab Rangoon and Boiled Shrimp Cocktail.  Click the links below to print or save the recipes.































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