Essentially, gluten is a protein found in certain cereal plants, such as wheat, barley, and rye. Some people might experience intolerance to gluten, especially those who have celiac disease. Thus, people need to know whether wine contains gluten to avoid this protein. Red wine, as well as white and rose one, is generally gluten-free. However, winemakers might add particular components that turn the wine into a gluten-contained one. This article will try to determine whether the wine is gluten-free.
Is there gluten in wine?
Most unflavored wines are entirely safe to drink on a gluten-free diet since they don’t contain gluten naturally. But it doesn’t mean that all wines don’t contain gluten – some additives and flavorings have the potential to add this protein to the final product. Keep in mind that naturally gluten-free wines are associated with Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Chianti, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Rose, and more.
To better understand whether the wine contains gluten, let’s take a quick look at the winemaking process. Both red and white wines are always made from grapes that naturally don’t have any gluten. There isn’t gluten at all in the fermentation stage of a winemaking process. But during the fining process that comes next, there is a small risk that unwanted protein reaches the wine bottle. This stage features adding substances to the wine to clarify it. As a result, any added fining agents are designed to connect with debris and wine particles to make the alcoholic drink filtered and clearer. This way, fining agents involving gluten can make this protein enter the bottle.
It is worth mentioning that some recent studies concluded that the gluten content after the fining process is considered to be many times lower than the maximum allowed amount of gluten for labeling a wine bottle as gluten-free, according to the guidelines of the FDA. Another concern about gluten in the wine is associated with oak barrels for wine aging sealed with wheat paste.
According to the studies, the amount of gluten found in such wines is generally lower than the limit of gluten quantifications. With this in mind, we can still say that wines are gluten-free, regardless of whether they contain a fining stage during a winemaking process or whether they were aged in the oak barrels.
Multiple consumers ask us does white wine has gluten. Generally, no, as this wine is made from 100% grapes, similar to red wines. At the same time, gluten-sensitive people should avoid drinking unsafe wines. They typically include flavored wine beverages, various wine cocktails, and wine coolers. Interestingly, wine coolers are most often produced from barley malt, which is inadvisable for everyone who follows a gluten-free diet.
