Lo-Cal Wines For Wine Wednesday

Summer is a time when many people are extra diligent about their calories. It is bikini season after all. So this week I checked out two lo-cal wines for Wine Wednesday. There is a new trend in the beverage industry, a "better for you" beverage trend. That means lower sugar, alcohol and calories. The idea sounds good but what about the taste? Glasses of wine can widely vary when it comes to calorie count. However, an 8 ounce glass easily tops 200 calories. It's still lower than some mixed drinks. But for some people, every calorie counts.

Wine contains sugar naturally. When it comes to sparkling wine and Champagne more sugar is added to spark a secondary fermentation. It makes the bubbly bubble. When it comes to low calorie wines, Slytbar is one that stands out to me. The Italian brand makes a sparkling wine that comes in at under 100 calories per glass and best of all, it tastes good. It's also fairly easy to find in local retailers.

Getting ready for the summer, I had a few people ship me some of these "better for you" wines. Let's unscrew some caps.

This first one comes from the 19 Crimes Wine brand. 19 Crimes has wines by celebrities such as Snoop Dog and most recently Martha Stewart.  Martha’s Lighter Chardonnay has less alcohol and 80 calories per serving. It is a little on the sweet side which is interesting, with apple and butterscotch flavors. $15

Lo Ca Organic Chardonnay comes from Mendoza, Argentina. It's the country's first USDA-certified organic and low-calorie, low-alcohol, low-sugar wine. It has only recently been introduced to the United States. This wine has only 75 calories per five ounce serving. It does not taste anything like a traditional chardonnay. It is light and lemony. I could get into this one as a spritzer around the pool for sure. $14

Summer is a time for cookouts, parties and gatherings. It's also one of the most popular times for cocktailing. Internet searches for cocktails and recipes tends to peak during the summer months. So the folks at Drink House 247 thought it would be fun to do a little research on what American's are liking right now. Next, they ranked those findings to come up with this list of most popular summer cocktails by state.

They crunched the numbers taking stats from Google searches in every state in the last 12 months. Then they were able to determine which types of cocktails were the subject of the most searches.

The study has some interesting revelations. For instance, certain regions shared favorites while others had very little similarities. However, there is allegedly one thing each state has in common. It is the  shared love of a classic Old Fashioned.

Old Fashioned was the most popular cocktail in the country. Nine different states searched for this drink more than any other. While it wasn't first in others, it did show up in the top five.

There were some interesting stand alone finds as well. Not surprising, Mai Tai is most popular in Hawaii. It's the only state sporting this juicy cocktail. And in Alabama, it is the Bellini. New Mexicans love the Paloma but it is the only state where this tequila drink shows up. The Margarita, however, is another story. Scroll down to see how this popular drink stacks up nationwide.

Before scrolling down, any guesses what ranks top in Florida? You might be surprised. Here are the top five cocktails along with the states that love them. In addition, find a refreshing recipe to try. Cheers!

This Classic whisky cocktail has seen a resurgence in popularity around the country. It came in number one on the list and was the most searched for recipe in these states: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota. Do you think it is a coincidence that all of these are known for their cold winters and Old Fashioned is warm and comforting beverage

This is a near ideal summer cocktail. It's sweet and tart mix is beloved all over the country but it was the most searched for in these states: Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Tennessee. If you want some good recipes, we've got some for you here.

This has become crazy popular over the last decade with all kinds of adaptations. The ginger is refreshing. Perhaps that is one reason it does well in hot states like Florida and Arizona. Here are the states that had the most searches for this cool beverage: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina

It's a bit sweet, a little bitter and looks great in a glass with it's orange color. This one seems to be most popular on the east coast, with one exception. Here is where the Negroni ranks top: California, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington

Orange Negroni

1 oz. Martini & Rossi Fiero

1 oz. Martini & Rossi Rosso

1 oz. Bombay Sapphire

Method: Mix ingredients with ice and stir in the serving glass,

garnish with an orange slice and serve on the rocks.

Mimosa is an iconic brunch cocktail made with sparking wine and orange juice. The biggest question here is usually about proportions. These states saw the most searches for this fresh cocktail: Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi

Drink Responsibly