Consuming Red Wine on a Ketogenic Diet
Red Wine and Ketosis:
Once you’ve entered ketosis, consuming alcohol will not necessarily reverse the process or prevent weight loss. After the first two weeks, you can enjoy red wine in moderation on the Atkins Diet, but you must count the energy in it towards your daily intake. A 3.5-ounce glass of red wine contains alcohol equivalent to about 4.3 grams of carbohydrates.
I prefer my wine "on the rocks"
Red Wine and Carbohydrates:
Alcohol has little to no effect on the glycemic index. This means it does not cause a spike in blood sugar. If you must drink alcohol while on the Atkins Diet, red wine is the best choice for a variety of reasons. Unlike beer, wine and liquor naturally have very low carbodyrate content in addition to the alcohol. But unlike liquor, which is usually consumed in cocktails made with sugary mixers, red wine has very few carbohydrates and no added sugar.
Drinking beer can raise your estrogen level, which can cause the dreaded "beer gut"
Resveratrol:
One of the criticisms often leveled at the Atkins Diet is that it encourages people to consume elevated levels of saturated fats and that, over time, the Atkins Diet could lead to heart disease. In fact, the Atkins Diet encourages consumption of whole foods including vegetables and fruits and other nutritionally dense foods. Red wine can be a helpful adjunct to this diet because it is proven to improve cardiovascular health. The color of red wine comes from the skin of the grapes, which contain an antioxidant called reservatrol. According to the Mayo Clinic, reservatrol is known to reduce the risk of blood clots and improve flexibility of blood vessels. Though grape juice might also contain equivalent levels of resveratrol, the sugar content of juice makes it less consistent with the Atkins Diet than red wine.
My opinion? I believe red wine, consumed in moderation (1-2 glasses) is fine, and may even be very beneficial to health, as well as fat loss.