Is Wine Gluten Free? The problem that most people face in gluten free diets is whether they can drink alcoholic beverages, thus the question comes up “is wine gluten free? The short answer is: yes. The majority of articles suggest that wine is naturally gluten free as it is made from grapes and no grains are involved in the preservative process. However other articles suggest a different story. Wine is one of the most argued areas of the gluten free alcohol industry. I have read that even though wine should be gluten free by its nature, some could be cross contaminated with wheat, stemming from things such as storage in oak. There is some concern with barrels sealed with a paste made from wheat, or wheat flour being used as a fining agent, which is done to clarify wine. Gluten can be used to fine wine, but more often a different protein is used. Some wines are aged in barrels that once could have contained another substance that might have held a glutinous product. This is rare, but can happen. Most US based manufactures currently use a neutral food grade paraffin to seal the barrels during the construction process, but there are some manufacturers that import and use the flour/water based barrels, a common practice in Europe. The industry may have an issue with claiming “Gluten Free” wines if barrels are used. Barrels are often cleaned out with a high pressure water jets even before their first use to reduce the chances of contamination. So I’m not sure any winery could claim “Gluten Free” if barrels are used. You can mostly trust wines that are “almost always” made without a barrel aging process such as: white wines like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Italian Pinot Grigio, and Bag-In-The-Box wines. If you want to be super-safe, drink domestic wines or those that are tank fermented. In tank fermentation, the wine is made in stainless steel tanks. Oak planks called “staves” are sometimes put in the tanks to add oak flavors. You will want to avoid Wine Coolers. Wine Coolers are NOT Gluten Free, because they contain barely malt. Your health matters. Always consult a qualified medical practitioner before modifying your diet, supplements, medications or exercise program. Until next time, cheers!