Red wine has been the drink of choice for gourmets and connoisseurs, pretentious poseurs, and, lately, the health-conscious set. It all starts from the actually process of making wine and where wine comes from that lend itself to some health benefits or at least top alcoholic beverage choice.

The process of making wine is basically converting sugar to alcohol. To make red wine, red grapes are harvested at a certain Brix level, which indicates the percentage of sugar in the grape. Grapes are then crushed and left to ferment in a tank with added yeasts. To extract the desired tannins, colors, and flavors, temperature is controlled and the speed of fermentation is manipulated as juice is pumped over the skins.
White wine making applies the same basic process as that of red wine, except the grape skins are removed before fermentation. You’re not looking for flavor from the skin, as you are with the red. You’re looking for more flavor from the meat of the grape.
To make sparkling wine, such as Champagne, you’re taking finished wine and you’re re-fermenting it. During the normal fermentation process, carbon dioxide is naturally given off to the air. During the second fermentation of sparkling wine in the bottle, the carbon dioxide is not released, giving the drink its natural effervescence.

Why is Wine even good for You?
Red wine naturally contains phytochemicals. Two types of poly-phenols — catechins and resveratrol, found in the skin and seeds of grapes — are thought to give red wine its antioxidant heart-healthy properties. The antioxidants in wine, called flavonoids, also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing bad LDL cholesterol, boosting good HDL cholesterol, and reducing blood clotting. One study even suggests that resveratrol may inhibit tumor growth for some cancers.
Red has more antioxidants than white, rose has similar to red, and there’s not really any antioxidants in Champagne. Since poly-phenol level is rooted in the grape skin, red wine holds superior to lighter-tinted wines — though white wine does have some cardio-protective benefits. But while their antioxidant count is diminished, white wines retain the ability to reduce bad LDL cholesterol.
Keep in mind consuming more than three glasses of wine a day can have negative effects as well.  You can get the same health benefits as red wine from drinking purple grape juice without any negative effects.

Calorie Comparison
Wine is the lowest-calorie alcoholic beverages per serving.
A 5-ounce serving of Red Wine is approximately 105 calories.
White Wine contains about 100 calories.
Three ounces of dessert wine, on the other hand, racks up 141 calories, so continue to mind your after-dinner drink count. If you’re really watching your calorie intake, consider cutting calories with a wine spritzer. Mix wine with sparkling water, which has zero calories and you can enjoy twice as much.