Celiac Wine Lovers

[BrookeT]

Hello,

I was recently diagnosed with celiac a couple of months ago. I love to drink wine occasionally, but have learned through research & reading the forums that some wines may contain gluten. One, I've read that some wineries may seal the barrels with a flour paste and then two, there may be gluten in the "fining" or "clarifying" agents used in the wine itself. I also know that some people do not react well to the sulfites in wine. For now, I've only been drinking Frey Organic wines which do not contain any gluten or sulfites. (I have had no issues with it.) This is great for when I'm at home, but when I go out, I just drink water or something else because I'm too worried about getting "glutened." The last couple of times I have gone out socially & had some wine, I did not feel well afterwards. I really don't want to give up wine & was wondering which wines those of you who have celiac have drank without issues. I would love to have some good brands I could add to my "safe" list.

Thanks!

[Lisa]

Wine is safe for people with Celiac to consume. I have never seen any evidence that wine contains residual wheat paste from the vats/barrels.

[psawyer]

I consider wine to gluten-free, without any qualification. If there was any substance to those myths, at lease some of the major associations like CSA and GIG would have a warning. They don't.

[dilettantesteph]

I am very sensitive and I drink Franzia burgundy without issues.

[modiddly16]

I've never come across a wine that has gluten in it.

[i-geek]

I don't react to wine, either. It seems more likely that you are reacting to the sulfites when you order wine in restaurants.

[StephanieGF]

People occasionally love to post the "oak barrels being corked by wheat flour thing," but I really think it is urban legend. I have asked several people I know who are very knowledgeable about wine, and no one had ever heard of that practice. The only place I have read that is here. Maybe someone somewhere in the world does that, but I think any commercially available wine will be gluten free. I'm drinking a glass right now. Cheers!

[kareng]

As I have posted before: no good winemaker would allow foreign substances like flour in the wine. The not so good wine makers age the wine in stainless steel vats. I don't know about those ones with all the fruit flavors in them. Bottled wine coolers are not made of wine.

[Lisa]

As I have posted before: no good winemaker would allow foreign substances like flour in the wine. The not so good wine makers age the wine in stainless steel vats. I don't know about those ones with all the fruit flavors in them. Bottled wine coolers are not made of wine.

....I agree, let alone allowing one of the main allergens to go undeclared. Somebody would be in a heap of trouble!

Cheers, back!

[Pac]

....I agree, let alone allowing one of the main allergens to go undeclared. Somebody would be in a heap of trouble!

Cheers, back!

eggs, fish and milk also belong to main allergens and they don't need to be on the labels (at least in some parts of Europe).

I did react to some wines (in Canada and Mexico) exactly the same way I react to rye and wheat-based alcohol. Maybe they use gluten in some part of the proccessing, maybe it's just cc from the fields - poison from bees and wasps caught in the grapes is found in wine, so most probably gluten can get in wine via the same route. I'd say for average celiac it's nothing to worry about - I'm extremely sensitive to gluten/wheat/rye and I only reacted 3-4 times in almost 2 years of regular wine drinking.

[RollingAlong]

interesting article on low-allergen wine

Open Original Shared Link

[BrookeT]

I actually e-mailed quite a few wineries and here are just a few of the responses I received back. (Most all them them confirmed that the barrels are sealed with a flour paste. Now whether or not any of that gets into the wine is the million dollar question.) Here's "straight from the horse's mouth," so to speak:

1) "In our wine production we do not use anything containing wheat or gluten. However, you are certainly correct in thinking that the

[BrookeT]

Unfortunately, it is true that many wine barrels are indeed sealed with a wheat flour paste. See my post above which lists responses from a few of the wineries that I've contacted. How much of that actually gets into the wine is the big question. As most of us celiacs know, it only takes a minute amount to cause damage. As for myself, I am sticking to wines produced in stainless steel.

l

People occasionally love to post the "oak barrels being corked by wheat flour thing," but I really think it is urban legend. I have asked several people I know who are very knowledgeable about wine, and no one had ever heard of that practice. The only place I have read that is here. Maybe someone somewhere in the world does that, but I think any commercially available wine will be gluten free. I'm drinking a glass right now. Cheers!

[Lisa]

Additional information:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[Skylark]

Thank you very much for sharing all those winery emails.

[BrookeT]

You are very welcome! : )

Thank you very much for sharing all those winery emails.

[Gemini]

Unfortunately, it is true that many wine barrels are indeed sealed with a wheat flour paste. See my post above which lists responses from a few of the wineries that I've contacted. How much of that actually gets into the wine is the big question. As most of us celiacs know, it only takes a minute amount to cause damage. As for myself, I am sticking to wines produced in stainless steel.

l

All of these e-mails are CYA statements and mean nothing other than the company are covering their own butts with legal disclaimers. If wheat paste were a real problem, any of the reputable Celiac foundations would be all over it. I am highly sensitive and have never reacted, not once, to wine of any kind. I have yet to meet any Celiac who has had a problem with wine, other than sulfites. This is just another unnecessary scare for newbies. If you choose to avoid wine for this reason, that's all well and good but it's not a real worry for any Celiac who drinks wine.

[modiddly16]

I appreciate your posting these e-mails for sure, as it clears up the "urban legend" thoughts. However, I'm a pretty sensitive (moreso as I get older apparently) Celiac and have never had issue with wine. I'm not sure how reasonable it is to assume that any "glue" or "paste" could get into the wine but I'm not a wine maker so I don't know! I agree with the statement that if there was a need to be alarmed that the Celiac folks would be all over them.

I do, however, find steel aged wine to be quite delicious

[Meatballman]

If you dont have a problem with wine from a box.I drink Franzia Chianti and Merlot the companies web site states they r gluten free. I think they taste great just wish I could find a good beer.

[Skylark]

If you dont have a problem with wine from a box.I drink Franzia Chianti and Merlot the companies web site states they r gluten free. I think they taste great just wish I could find a good beer.

Try the Green's gluten-free beers. Open Original Shared Link They're not cheap but I love the dark! The ones I've been drinking are the naturally gluten-free Discovery beers. I don't know whether I would trust the newer ones with de-glutenized barley malt. I'm pretty sensitive.

[BrookeT]

I will try it, thanks! I wish I could help with the beer, but I've only tried Bard's & Redbridge (I think that's what it's called) and I'll bet you've already tried those. I thought they were decent but I'm not a big beer drinker.

If you dont have a problem with wine from a box.I drink Franzia Chianti and Merlot the companies web site states they r gluten free. I think they taste great just wish I could find a good beer.

[Meatballman]

Try the Green's gluten-free beers. Open Original Shared Link They're not cheap but I love the dark! The ones I've been drinking are the naturally gluten-free Discovery beers. I don't know whether I would trust the newer ones with de-glutenized barley malt. I'm pretty sensitive.

Thanks Iwill give it a try. I tried Bards it bothered my stomach.Redbridge is not too bad.But I would kill for a nice cold PBR.

[meatslayer]

I'm another red wine drinker, I'm sure I drink to much of it.... never had any issues being glutened.

Dave