Australia has always had a good climate for growing wine and in recent years, this country has become one of the largest exporters of wine in the world. Having a glass or two of wine is a fairly popular way to unwind after a long day as well.

Many people believe that wine has some positive health benefits, but with so many different types, it begs the question: what type of wine is healthier? Well, the answer to this question may surprise you.

As it turns out, dry white wine is the top drop to drink for the health concsious. Speaking to USA Today, Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, revealed that dry white wine has the least amount of sugar and alcohol in each bottle.

Some wines have sugars left over from fermenting the grapes, which tends to give them a sweet taste. Other types of wine, like dessert wines such as Moscato, sweet Riesling, or Port, have added sugars. The health effects of sugar on the human body are well established.

Alcohol doesn’t provide much in the way of nutrients but it is full of calories, which can lead to weight gain if consumed in significant amounts. So, to avoid taking in excess sugar and calories when drinking, dry white wine is the way to go.

These wines tend to have less sugar in them compared to other wines which gives them their characteristic dry, unsweetened taste. Less sugar also means a lower alcohol content. As a rule, wine grown in cooler climates, either red or white, also tends to be less sweet and have a lower alcohol content because the grapes are harvested earlier in the season.

But what about the often touted health benefits of wine? Well, according to Petitpain, no health professional will ever encourage you to take up drinking in any amount for the supposed health benefits. Moreover, the World Health Organisation has long maintained that no amount of alcohol is safe for the human body.

While the compounds in red wine may have antioxidant properties, drinking one glass a day is unlikely to confer any significant health benefits. Drinking more than one glass a day is more likely to cause negative health effects instead.

“There’s probably a sweet spot like there is with most things where a little bit may be health protective for some people but too much actually starts to go in the wrong direction,” said Petitpain on the potential health benefits of wine.

So while one glass of wine a day might be good for some, most people should look elsewhere for a healthy drink.